In the Grey
by Aprila
Summary: DMGW. “Enemies don’t grow on trees?” “That’s right! They don’t! And if you want to keep proper enemies you cannot kiss them like that! That was awful!” Detentions, Potions, and Enemies, oh my!
1. Chapter 1

AN: I am back. Here I go again with another Draco/Ginny, but I made characters a bit different than in _A Fire Within_, so I hope you still approve. Draco's pretty horrid now, but I'm sure he'll get better. As always I do not own any of these characters, etc.

20 days until my wedding.

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Slytherin House had a general sense of solidarity. The other houses despised Slytherins, and rightfully so because the emotion was reciprocated, so they were forced into a fairly unified group. Those who did not agree with the dark way of the Slytherin majority, generally possessed enough shrewdness to keep their mouths shut. The same applied to criticizing the Slytherin "royalty."

Draco Malfoy had once been the prince of Slytherin House. He was once the Slytherin House epitome of the prideful, pureblooded witches and wizards in the ring of the Dark Lord. Yet something had happened during his sixth year. He arrived as self-indulgent and arrogant as ever- boasting about his admittance into the Dark Lord's followers. His immaculate appearance and sharp wit were the first to go that year. He was too busy and flustered to put in the time to his perfect façade, and too tired to throw out the witty insults and retorts that had earned him the respect of the house during his first year. His stony coldness gave way to exhaustion, and Slytherins knew better than to display any weakness, especially something as trivial as a lack of sleep. In hushed whispers, a group of first-years had discussed an encounter, which involved a certain blonde-haired prince weeping in the girl's bathroom. The gossips were punished, but the knowledge ate into Slytherin House like an epidemic. Then at the end of the year, the Dark Lord's followers gained entrance to the castle, and in a flurry of mystery, the headmaster was murdered, and their prince and head of house had vanished.

Away from Hogwarts the rumors has circulated and grown. Some said that the prince was a murderer. Some said that he was framed, because a Slytherin would not be stupid enough to commit a murder that he could be caught for. There were, of course, the odd rumors about the prince and the head of house running away together to hide their secret romance, but those were from the more perverse and bored Slytherins.

The summer ended too soon and Slytherin House reboarded the Hogwart's Express. Their numbers had decreased- the children of the highest ranked member's of Voldemort's order had not returned. It was suspected that many dark marks had been received over the holiday. One unexpected face on the train, however, was the pinched, pallid face of Draco Malfoy. He had taken to ignoring most people, including those Slytherins that he had once highly regarded. The two great oafs who shared a room with him were overheard in the common room whispering about his screams in his sleep. Again, the Slytherins doubted their prince. He soon fell out of favor with his housemates. The rule of solidarity seemed not to apply anymore, because they could often be heard snickering about him behind his back. Draco Malfoy was no weakling, however, nor a coward. He fought the Slytherins with his words and his wand at any sign of their disdain, but the seeds had been planted in their minds, and he would never again have the undying respect that he had once commanded.

Where he had once been the epitome, Draco Malfoy then became the enigma. He vehemently defended the pureblood way, but he became agitated at discussion of the Dark Lord. He still hated Mudbloods, most of all that filthy Granger girl, but no longer defended the Dark Lord's murder of them. In fact, once a fifth year boy was bragging about how he was certain to be admitted into the Dark Lord's followers, and how he couldn't wait to lay his hand on the Mudblod trash at the Dark Lord's orders, Draco Malfoy had idly hexed the boy and reprimanded him for being a mindless sheep. Strange indeed were the changes that had overcome their once revered prince.

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Draco made his way up a dark, musty corridor at an obscene hour of the night. He rarely slept anymore, and had taken to patrolling the dungeons late at night, just to keep himself occupied. No Slytherin would ever accuse their former prince of having nightmares, but he always awoke yelling when he bothered to go to sleep at all. He slowed as he heard raised voices ahead.

"No, you listen to me, _Potter_," the voice spat out his name as if it was dirty, "I am tired of you always ordering me around like some kind of sick puppy. I am not a part of your band of merry followers- I am your girlfriend. You tried to be noble before, but it didn't work, did it? I will not play around like a child."

"Ginny," an exasperated voice pleaded, "that is not what I meant. I just don't want you to be out here with me for no reason. You should go back up to your dorm before you get caught, or worse. I've heard terrible stories about these dungeons. I'll check up on Malfoy, then I'll meet you up there in a few minutes."

Draco's eyes narrowed. _Check up on me? What does Potty think he is up to? And since when does that little Weasley bint argue with her precious Potter_, he wondered to himself.

He heard a growl, then the female voice spat out, "I have had it. I am not going to be like everyone else following your bloody orders all the time, Harry. For Merlin's sake, you could set them off Muggle hunting and they wouldn't think twice about it. You are as bad as Voldemort, maybe worse, because you seem to think that you are fighting some righteous cause. Well I'm done. Have fun with all that on your own."

Draco heard the footsteps split. One set hesitantly made its way back toward the stairs while the other moved quickly toward him. He stepped out of the shadows, wand held at the ready, and prepared to find out exactly why Potty was watching him.

He was not prepared then, when he was suddenly accosted by a mass of flaming red hair as it flew around the corner.

"-the bloody hell was that?" the Weaslette shrieked as she fell to the ground.

Draco suddenly found himself on his back on the cool stone floor. "Mind removing your filthy traitor germs from me? I don't want to be contaminated you see." His steely grey eyes locked on round hazel eyes. She blinked him several times, but did not move. He raised his eyebrow, _The saucy little minx just can't get enough of me can she? Not that I blame her. Her filthy little family would probably sell her to me for a few sickles to buy food, and she'd be so proud. Not that I'd buy the smelly little bint. I am far superior to her_, he thought as he cruelly shoved her to the floor and stood, brushing himself off.

The Weasley finally snapped out of it. "What is your problem, Malfoy?" she asked while getting to her feet.

"My problem is that my quiet walk was ruined by your childish lover's quarrel, and then you unceremoniously threw me to the floor in your obvious need to be nearer to someone so superior to yourself and your pathetic excuse for a boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend, ferret boy."

_Ferret boy? Where in Merlin's name do these people come up with this rubbish? _"Right, your ex-boyfriend. Can't even manage to keep the-boy-who-just-won't-die, can you? You must be a truly lousy specimen of blood traitor."

"You shouldn't speak about things that you don't understand, Malfoy. It makes you look like a fool, and it doesn't suit you." She turned on her heel and made her way back down the corridor.

"You know, old scar-face is right. These dungeons aren't safe for the likes of you. I'd hate to see one of my Slytherins go out hunting for a little fun and not realize that you were filth until it was too late. Then he'd be ruined. It'd be a shame really, so you should remember to keep your horrid Weasley nose out of this place."

"_Your_ Slytherins? Last I heard, they were all mocking you behind your back. It seems you cry and scream in your sleep like a little girl. How does that work with the Malfoy reputation? Following in your father's footsteps, are you?"

Draco lunged forward and grabbed the Weasley girl's freckled arm and spun her around. Her mouth gaped as she looked at the tight grip that he had on her arm. He growled, "You should take your own advice and try not to talk about things that _you_ don't understand. It makes you look even more intellectually inferior than usual." He released her and disappeared into the shadows with a flurry of his robes. She stared into the darkness before hurrying toward the stairs.

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AN: Please review! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I am completely exhausted for no good reason. I am very excited to see some old reviewers back again, and I hope you like it as much as the last. I am going to try really hard to do a chapter a day so that I finish it before the wedding, otherwise the story will take a few week hiatus when I go on my honeymoon.

19 days until my wedding!

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Draco sat in the astronomy tower watching the sun slowly inch its way over the horizon, fuming in anger. Hours after he had spoken to the she-Weasley, he just couldn't get over what she had said. "_Following in your father's footsteps?"_ she had asked him. _She doesn't know anything, does she? _he thought angrily.

If he admitted it to himself, however, which he was highly unlikely to do, the sparky, little redhead had gotten closer to the mark than he had liked. Growing up, he admired his father. He had been a hero-figure, unafraid to stand up for what he believed in and not caring who got hurt along the way. He was admired and respected by the community. As Draco grew older, however, he realized that it was fear, not respect, that his father commanded, but even then Draco did not mind. To be able to inspire fear in so may people was certainly an admirable trait as well. It was when the Dark Lord regained his power, however, that Draco understood his father a bit better.

Lucius Malfoy was no more than a puppet. The Dark Lord could pull a string here or there, and Lucius did whatever was commanded of him, no questions asked. How strong and hero-like was that? To do another's bidding without question? Draco then realized that his father was strong, because one even stronger was manipulating him, and that was not a pleasant thought.

If Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had taught their heir anything, it had been that Malfoys were better than anyone else, and that pride in their name was everything. As a child, one hates to think that they are only important because of their name, because that means that they owe something to their parents. So Draco took his pride further and found himself superior to others, not in name, but by consequence of his own inner strength. Combine that with the new knowledge that your father is a mindless sheep, and your world begins to crumble. He thought himself better than everyone, so why should he listen to anyone else? This epiphany came after the Dark Lord's order to murder Dumbledore. A right stupid idea to tell a sixteen-year-old boy's inflated ego to kill one of the most powerful wizards. Then when he realizes that he cannot do it after all, and that he was manipulated just like his mindless father, he has to break away.

After the incident in the Astronomy Tower last spring, Draco had no faith in the Dark Lord as a leader. He had not, however, as some would have liked, changed his ways and fought for the light. A single incident, no mater how enlightening, cannot reverse sixteen years of deeply ingrained teachings. No, he still knew that purebloods were far superior, and he still knew that the Dark Lord had the right idea getting rid of the Muggles and Mudbloods. He just wouldn't fight for him. He was his own man, and he was eager to prove it.

That big-mouthed Weasley girl had really touched a nerve with him. She was too busy with her fight for the bloody Saint Potter, that she didn't realize that she didn't know anything. At all. _She is just another sheep_, Draco thought bitterly, _following the masses, and the orders of Potty. No idea what she is doing at all_.

Finally, sure that breakfast must be open at last, Draco stood and walked down the stairs of the tower. He paused at the bottom to check for teachers in the corridors before heading down to the Great Hall.

In the previous years, it was common to see Draco Malfoy strut into the Great Hall surrounded by a band of goons in an immaculate robe and perfect hair atop his pale, icy face. In his seventh year, however, it was more common for him to saunter in with wrinkled robes, his hair askew, and bags under his eyes. In his walk and in his eyes, the same cold, superior indifference still resided, but it was clothed differently.

He sat at his usual place at the Slytherin table, facing out across the hall. Conversations around him immediately hushed, much to his pleasure, as he surveyed the students with a haughty self-indulgence. As his gaze passed over the Gryffindor table, he noticed the little Weasley girl watching him warily. _Serves her right. I hope she's bloody terrified of me_, he thought. His eyes narrowed as she unabashedly stared at him. No one could win a staring match with a Malfoy, surely she had learned that by now. A few moments later, her cheeks colored and she looked away. _Ha!_ he thought triumphantly, _I win again._

His morning passed slowly. This being his NEWT year, Draco's classes were intense and difficult, but he immersed himself in his studies, so he made higher marks than usual. His potions class was punctuated by piercing looks from scar head, which Draco did not take lightly. _Why can't the bloody boy just stop staring at me? I know I have devilish good looks, but honestly, get a hold of yourself, Potty. And don't go all stalker on me, either. It's weird enough that you are looking at me without knowing that you are roaming around the dungeons in the middle of the night looking for me. _

Draco sighed in frustration and went back to his potion, which naturally was the perfect glistening golden color that the book described. He corked some into a vial, handed it in to Professor Slughorn, who looked pleased despite himself, and quickly left the classroom.

Draco found himself in the library minutes later, surrounded by potions books. His hobby had become creating new potions, and he was actually quite good. His most recent project was creating a shield potion that lasted more than a few minutes.

He was so immersed in his studies that Draco did not notice that someone had come to sit at his table and was staring expectantly at him. In fact, Draco didn't even look up until he heard someone say, "You are as bad as Hermione when she is on a mission. It's a one track mind, you've got."

Draco looked up indignantly. _Who in Merlin's name would be stupid enough to compare me to the Mublood? _He noticed Weaslette sitting across from him and rolled his eyes. _I should have known, the entire Weasley family probably has no more brain cells between them than sickles in their family vault_. He snickered at the thought.

"This is the second time in two days that you have forced me to come in contact with your blood traitor germs. As I would really rather avoid the germs and the gossip, would you kindly step away from my table?"

"No."

_Did she just-_ "Did you just say 'no?' I think mine ears deceive me."

"No, I won't go. I need that book," she said pointing to the book in his hands. He looked down at the book. Potent Potions Ingredients and their Properties was hardly sixth-year reading, so he told her as much.

"You know, Weasley, if you want to be near me so badly, you don't have to come up with excuses, especially not stupid ones about books, you can just ask. I'll just say no, but it's better than embarrassing yourself."

Her hazel eyes narrowed at him. "I need the book, not you Malfoy. Trust me, I'd rather join Voldemort and dance on my Uncle Albert's grave than lay a hand on your pallid skin."

_Did she just insult him? Surely not. _"Ah, I see, a diversion tactic. You don't want me to know of your affection for me, so you hide it in insult. You do realize that that is a technique used more by five-year-olds than teenagers, but to each his own," and he looked back down at his book.

She growled and Draco looked up alarmed. "You are so conceited, Malfoy. Give me the book, and I will leave you alone. I am not like the masses of stupid women who throw themselves at you so that you can add their names to your list of little _toys_."

"Really. Then what are you?"

"Smarter than that," and she snatched the book from him and ran.

It took him a moment to register that she had not only insulted him again, but stolen his book. He stood and threw a few hexes at her retreating form, but she was out of range, and a stormy-faced Madam Pince was moving quickly toward his table. Several furious minutes of whining that the Weasley girl stole his book and 2 weeks of worth detentions handed out later, Draco returned to his pile of books and chose another to begin working with.

She had bested him and he knew it. She stole his bloody book, for Merlin's sake. What she completely mental? Stealing a book out of his hands? No one had ever tried that before. He would admit that the girl had some spunk, but he was still furious. He wanted that book back! Just as Draco resolved to go, find her, and steal back the book, he heard a throat clear above him.

He looked up and saw two hazel eyes and a mass of red hair looming over him. Her eyes looked angry, indignant, and defiant. He noticed her eyes shift to the front desk where Madam Pince was watching the exchange like a hawk. Draco chuckled and the Weasley girl's expression turned to bewilderment.

"What was that awful noise? Don't tell me that was supposed to be a laugh. It's no wonder you have no friends. No one could stand to be around you when you're happy and when you are not, you brood."

Now Draco's eyes narrowed. "I do not brood."

"Oh right, so you weren't just sitting here sulking over the fact that I stole your book?"

"And now you are being forced to return it, and you hate that you have to show civility to a Malfoy."

"True."

Draco cocked his head at the girl. She intrigued him. She wasn't fawning over him or running from him. It was… interesting. "What is your name?" he asked.

The girl's confused expression before had nothing on the look of complete and utter bewilderment across her face. "My name?" she asked.

"Yes, I assume that your fat mother was smart enough to give you one, seeing as everyone else got one. Then again, maybe she took one look at you and was struck dumb by the hideousness of your face and forgot."

Weaslette's red head shook. She seemed to have overlooked the insult in her obvious confusion. "Ginny."

"Agh. You'd be better off without a name. Ginny? It's so plain. No doubt short for something like Virginia. Bloody unlucky you are. Cursed with bad hair and a bad name."

She finally snapped out of it. "It's short for Ginevra, actually, and I don't think that you are one to talk about bad hair or names. You look like you have had one dye job too many, and Draco? What was your mother thinking?"

Draco's hand flew instinctively to his hair. "There is nothing wrong with my hair. It is dignified. And Draco happens to be a very sophisticated name. At least I don't run around having people call me Drake or something. Ginevra is far better than Ginny any day."

The conversation had taken a very strange turn. And the fact that he was even conversing with a Weasley at all was disconcerting. He decided to end it. "I take it that you came to bring me my book back. Are you in the habit of stealing other people's things, then insulting them instead of apologizing?"

"No just you," she said as she handed him the book.

"Don't I feel special. Now leave."

Ginevra rolled her eyes. "Have fun, Malfoy."

"You too, Ginevra." She looked shocked that he said her name, then shook her head and walked away.

Draco watched her go. She had irritated him, but he didn't really mind. She was more interesting and witty than most people that he had the misfortune to see everyday. He frowned slightly, then reopened his book to the page he had been reading before his book was so rudely snatched away. As he did, however, a piece of paper fell out that said, "Try hellebore, it will work better." _How the bloody hell did she know what I was doing_, he thought savagely. _And of course, hellebore, why didn't I think of that!_ Draco glowered at Ginevra's retreating back wondering what else she was hiding.

AN: Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for all of your reviews! I probably won't get to respond to everyone individually like I did for the last story, but know that each review is GREATLY appreciated. And now for the wedding countdown:

18 days until my wedding!

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Draco grumbled as he made his way toward Madam Pince's office in the back of the library. _I can't believe that I have to serve detention with this crazy old woman just because I threw some spells at the Weaslette. It's not like any of them hit her… unfortunately. _As he approached the door, she motioned for him to come in and take a seat.

"We're just waiting on one more before I get you started." _Aha! I won't be alone at least. I hate being alone in the dark, musty corners of the library… Err, I mean, this way I won't have to do any work? Oh bloody hell._

A moment later, Draco heard loud, rushed footfalls approaching the office. _Must be some uncivilized first-year. Making all of that racket in a library? Honestly. _Before he could see who it was, he heard, "Sorry, I am late, Madam Pince. I got stuck on one of the staircases," and a flustered redhead plopped down beside him and attempted to catch her breath.

"Oh, its _you_," Draco said spitting out the word as if it was dirty.

Ginny grimaced up at him. "Indeed. I am me and you are you. Glad we got that cleared up."

Draco made to say something, but Madam Pince's voice cut him off. "Since neither of you seem to understand how to use a library like civilized beings, I thought that you could work together inventorying a donation that we received. You will be cataloging the books and placing them on the shelves. It is an important task and you need to take your time. Luckily, you both have two weeks worth of detentions to serve on the project. Rushing won't make them go by any faster. I'll show you to the room now," and she stood, motioning for them to do the same. Draco glared openly at the redhead, who promptly ignored him and followed Madam Pince. _How dare she ignore me? No one ignores a Malfoy and gets away with it!_

He entered a small room at the far end of the library behind the restricted section. As they had walked past the rows of restricted books, Draco had noted how Ginny looked longingly at them, and made a point to ask her later. In the center of the room were no less than fifty boxes of books.

Ginny groaned audibly and Draco shared a significant look with her that clearly said, 'Madam Pince is off her rocker.'

"Alright Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, get started. If you have any questions, you know where to find me." She left and closed the door behind her.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Ginny asked as she sunk to the floor as the base of the pile of boxes.

"Besides steal my book, you mean?" Draco asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Of course."

Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed a box to sit at the small table with. He opened it gingerly removed its contents- several small, old, leather-bound books. "So we just catalog these things?"

"That would be what she said," Ginny replied sarcastically.

"You know, Ginevra, a little less hostility would go a long way."

Ginny looked taken aback. "Less hostility? Did that actually just come out of your mouth, Malfoy? That's rich coming from the prince of hostility himself."

"Ahh yes. I am Malfoy. Hear me roar. I'm so mean and you are so misunderstood. Isn't that how it goes?"

"Shut up."

"Very witty, Ginevra."

"Stop calling me that. It freaks me out."

"It's your name. But if you like I can go back to calling you Weaslette. It is certainly more dignified than _Ginny_."

Ginny let out a strangled sigh of exasperation, pulled a box to herself and began working in silence. The next two hours were spent in silent concentration broken every now and then by a biting comment from Draco. _The girl can't just ignore me like that! It's just not normal. Normal girls fawn over me like Pansy. Well, I suppose that Pansy isn't so much normal, as a horrific excuse for a pureblooded female, but that is beside the point._

Tired of arguing with himself and being ignored by the she-Weasel, Draco said, "I liked you better when you were hostile. Can we go back to that? This is so boring." He punctuated the word, 'boring,' by loudly dropping a book on the table, which promptly erupted in a cloud of dust causing Draco to cough uncontrollably.

Ginny merely eyed him curiously until he had finished, "Are you quite done with that yet? Good. You were the one who told me that I was being too hostile, so I chose the higher path and decided to just ignore you."

"Ah yes. The higher path. That is what your lot fight for, isn't it?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "_My _lot?" she asked. "And what do you pretend to know about _my _lot?"

Draco leaned back in his chair and placed his feet up on the table. He gazed at the redhead appraisingly while primly crossing his hands in his lap. Finally he spoke, "You were in league with Dumbledore and his band of "evil" fighters." He motioned air quotes when he said evil, and Ginny rolled her eyes. "You fight for the nonexistent rights of the muggles and mudbloods, as if they deserve the same rights that we purebloods do. Your family is a bunch of traitors who are too busy fawning over the-boy-who-just-won't-die to realize that if they had half a brain, they would forget about everyone but themselves and maybe they'd have enough money to buy you some decent robes." He sneered as he looked over her robes with disdain.

"Is that quite all?"

Draco's eyes narrowed. _How can she be so calm. I just insulted everything she stands for. And her hideous robes, for Merlin's sake. She must be mental._

"Are you mental?" he asked.

Ginny laughed until she couldn't breathe, and when she finally calmed herself enough to wipe the tears from her eyes, she saw Draco at his table looking alarmed and ready to run. She sighed and shook her head.

"You have no idea, Malfoy."

"Lets get two things straight. One, my name is Draco, not Malfoy. Two, I happen to know a lot about your ridiculous little order, because my father told me." _Bollocks. I know because my father told me? What like he is the authority of truth? Again with the father-worship. Save face. Take it back now. _Before he got a chance to, however, Ginny stood, walked over, and sat cross-legged on his table.

"Alright, _Draco_, what makes you so sure that I am a part of that order? What makes you think that I am just like my family?"

"I just know it." _Way to go, Draco. Lame. _"You are always hanging on Saint Potter, and he is the leader now that the old fool is gone."

"Ahh. Potter. Yes, well, I was stupid. I know better now," she raised her eyebrow as if daring him to refute it. "I'm done with the order, and I'm done with Harry. He took over after Dumbledore, and since then everyone looks to him as a god-figure or something. It's sick. They are all as bad as your lot following Voldemort's every whim."

"Time to turn the tables, I think. What were your exact words? Something like 'My lot? What do you pretend to know about _my_ lot?'"

Ginny smirked. "Touche. Well, I know that you believe in pureblood superiority. You are sheep under Voldemort trying to purge the world of all muggles and muggle-borns. And you're all completely nutters, because Voldemort himself is half-blooded."

Draco tried to retain a shred of dignity as he let the shock of her last statement sink in. "What makes you think that, Ginevra?" He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and hands clasped together.

"Ahh. So you didn't know then? Not that I am surprised. Not exactly something you'd want leaking out if you were Voldemort is it? Let's just say that in my first year I got to know a 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' a little closer than I would have liked."

"Your first year? Does that have something to do with the Chamber of Secrets?" He hated to ask so many questions. It made him look like he was interested in what she had to say, but truth be told, he was interested despite himself.

"Does that have something to do with the Chamber of Secrets?" she parroted. "And here I thought that you were Daddy's little lap dog. He didn't tell you anything did he? Tom Marvolo Riddle was Voldemort's name when he was at school here fifty years ago. His dad was a muggle. His mum a pureblood."

"The diary. Did my father give that to _you_?" _I remember that. He said that he was going to give it to someone at school and the Dark Lord would rise again._

"Yes, _Draco_, he did. Very brave man, your dad, letting an eleven-year-old girl do his dirty work."

Draco frowned. He had no idea that his father had stooped so low. It was a horrible thing to do to the girl. _But rather poetic, too, _he thought_. Letting the chamber be opened by the daughter of on of Dumbledore's biggest supporters._ He shook his head. _It was cowardice on my father's part, though, which is precisely why I refuse to be a part of that any longer._

"I am not my father, you know."

Ginny gazed at him moment before nodding her head and saying, "I know."

"And I am not one of the Dark Lord's followers. I tried that, and it didn't suit me."

Before he realized what had happened, Ginny had grasped his left are and pulled up the sleeve. There was nothing there but pale skin, and white-blonde peach fuzz for arm hair. She frowned and he snatched his arm back.

"Are you completely mental? Or did your fat mother never teach you any manners? Honestly woman, your lucky I don't just kill you now and rid myself of your social malfunctions. But I'd only inconvenience myself, so I think I'll save that for another day."

"Right. No mark? I was sure that you had one. Well, technically Harry was sure that you had one. Another reason not to trust the boy. He doesn't seem to have a clue what he is talking about." Draco watched her working things out to herself. Finally she looked up at him. " Did you just say that you tried that, and it didn't suit you? Didn't suit you? Like it was some kind of hobby? You really are sick, you know that."

Draco shrugged. _Why am I even talking to her?_ _She is not even worth my time. I suppose I thought that before I realized that she had so much spunk, though. I mean, honestly. She thought that she could get away with just pulling back my sleeve and checking for a mark? She's either very brave or very stupid. Despite myself I think I may have to go with the first. She certainly doesn't seem very stupid. And she's been though a lot. My father's diary included. _

Ginny watched his mental dispute and smiled slightly. Maybe the guy wasn't so bad after all. Completely self-involved, possibly mental, and in possession of the most distorted set of priorities known to wizard-kind, but not all bad. He was interesting at least, which is far more than she could say about her angsty ex-boyfriend.

A few minutes later Madam Pince entered the room and told them that they could go home for the night, and that they would begin at the same time the next day. As Draco and Ginny exited the library, Draco inclined his head toward the redhead and said, "Goodnight, Ginevra."

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. "Goodnight- Draco." He smiled at her pained use of first name and turned toward the dungeon wondering what in Merlin's name had come over him that evening.

AN: Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I got some very nice, and very persuasive messages from you and decided that I should make an effort toward moving this along now that things have slowed down. Mostly it was FanficFanatick's doing. She called me a dementor, and we just can't have that now can we? I was quickly put together and not planned in advance, but I am fairly pleased. So hopefully I will no longer be a dementor?

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As he shuffled moodily toward the library, Draco pondered his latest potions setback. He had gotten the hellebore to work in his shield potion, but now he was having a hard time keeping the compound stable enough to store it. The fact that he had to leave his caldron at such a crucial stage in the brewing process was more than slightly irritating.

_I can blame it on that childish Weasley girl and her book stealing_, he thought. He had spent most of the evening after their detention stewing over what had occurred. Not only was she the world's biggest social misfit, but she had somehow convinced him to tell her things. And to want her company. He shook his head. That more than anything had disturbed him. _I should have been pleased when she shut her filthy little mouth, but what did I do? Beg her to be hostile again so that I could talk to her. She's some sort of evil. _

He had determined sometime in the night that she must be evil. She was luring her into her evil little trap. She was going to make him soft, then when he was good and mushy, she'd pounce. All night the image of a praying mantis eating its mate had run through his head. Again he shook his head. _Evil…_

"Something wrong, Malfoy? Or do you have to keep shaking your _luxurious_ tresses to make sure they are still there? It's a bit obnoxious really."

Draco stopped dead in the corridor, and he felt someone bump into him from behind.

"Hey watch it! You don't just stop like that! What is wrong with you?" Ginny's voice called over his shoulder.

Mentally Draco cringed. _Evil_. He turned around and looked her in the eye. "What is wrong with you is the more pertinent question. Were you trailing behind me hoping I might drop some coins? Sorry, but no."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, you got me. Coins."

Draco's eyes narrowed, and he gave her the fiercest Malfoy look he could muster. And she laughed at him. Not just a little chuckle, but a full-on, can't control herself surge of laughter that was downright frightening. Not that he'd admit it of course. She was mental. And a mental evil person is just plain dangerous, he decided. So he did the only thing he could think of to shut her up- and prove that he wasn't afraid of her. He slapped her.

And that shut her up good and proper. Her face turned so red, he thought that she just might explode. Then she did, to some degree. The loud words that flew from her mouth were so chaotic and rapid that he couldn't make out any of them, but he was pleased. _That ought to show her_, he thought, _can't fool me_.

It was the smirk that undid it. He smirked at her. So she punched him. Not some sissy little slap like he had done. She punched him flat out, and he fell over in pain. _What the bloody hell is wrong with this girl! Now I'll never get a date. She's ruined me. I'm ruined. _

He lay stunned and moaning. A moment later he felt someone sit next to him on the floor. He looked over and saw Ginevra eyeing him curiously, so he moved quickly away. _She's come back for more! She is the bloody praying mantis! _

"Oh, calm down. I wouldn't have hit you, but you slapped me."

"You are mental!"

"No you did slap me. Hmm… maybe I hit harder than I thought and knocked some brain cells loose. Poor nutter can't even remember slapping me." She muttered the last part to herself and looked at him with eyes of concern and pity.

"No, you are mental- of course I know I slapped you. You deserved it. You were laughing like a lunatic and it worked to shut you up didn't it."

Ginny eyes iced over. "Are you in the habit of hitting girls, Malfoy?"

"Only when they deserve it. Or to shut them up. Are you in the habit of hitting men vastly more superior than yourself?"

"Yes."

"Well then, case proved. You are absolutely mental."

Ginny rolled her eyes again. The poor boy had issues, she determined.

After a few moments of silence in which Draco glowered unceasingly at the redhead, he stood. He said one word, "Detention," and made his way toward the library

After checking with Madam Pince, Draco made his way back to the room he had worked in the night before, cautiously rubbing his cheek when no one could see. _That bloody hurt_. _She hit me. She honestly hit me. _He idly shuffled through a stack of books while his bruised ego pondered whether his face would be bruised at breakfast the next day. Behind him the door opened and closed, but he did not acknowledge it.

He worked in silent boredom for hours resisting the urge to turn around and say something to the girl. He didn't want the same problem he had had yesterday. But as he sat silently rethinking the whole situation, he was more and more impressed and less offended. His mother would never return a blow to his father, he was sure of it, as he had often witnessed the exchange. She usually just started to cry and left the room. While he loved his mother, he had to admit that she had a weak personality. She liked what his father liked, believed what his father believed, and did what his father told her to. Just as his father did for the Dark Lord. Just as he had done for years to his father. This girl was a perfect example of a strong female personality.

_I shouldn't be too surprised_, he thought to himself_, she is after all a pureblood- some traits were bound to show through her traitorous exterior. Not that all pureblood women are strong- take Mother and the simpering Parkinson girl. _He made a sound of disgust and heard a giggle from the other side of the room, so he looked up for the first time all evening at his companion.

Ginny had not looked up from her pile of books, but it had been amusing to listen to Draco's emotions all evening. He made strangled sounds of frustration, disgust and approval throughout the night, much to her enjoyment. She continued diligently working, unaware of the eyes on her, until she made a quiet squeal of excitement as she found a book she had been silently hoping for.

"What did you find?" Draco asked curiously. _I can be curious, can't I? It is not a threat to my masculinity or superiority._

Ginny eyed him suspiciously before replying, "A potions book."

"That's a lot of excitement for just a potions book," he remarked crossing the room. _A potions book! I wonder what it is. Will it help me? I need something to make the shield potion more stable…_

Ginny deliberated a moment before saying, "A _restricted _potions book."

"My my, quite the rebel aren't we? Let me have a look." _Restricted! Even better. Give it to me! Give it to me!_

"I don't think so," she said clutching it to her chest, "I had it first. When I am done looking at it, then you can."

"What? No no, give it to me, then you can have it back. I just want to see what it is."

"Venenum Specialis. Nothing important. I just want a quick look first. I did find it after all."

Draco was incensed. _I want that book! I've been trying to cook up ways to get it out of the Restricted Section for weeks. Two can play the book stealing game._ He snatched the book from her hands and moved the other side of the room, shielding it from her view.

Ginny let out a strangled cry of rage. "Give me back that book!" She flew at him across the room. He didn't move. He sat with the book wrapped tightly in his arms while looking down at.

Ginny tried to snatch the book out of his arms. She clawed at his skin, and still nothing. She sat on the floor at his feet and glowered at him. Still he didn't move. Meanwhile, Draco was basking the glory that was the book. He was running over the endless possibilities that it held for him as a potion maker, completely oblivious to the redhead.

"I'm not a dinosaur, you know. When you stop moving I don't cease to see you."

Draco shook out of his reverie. "What?" _Dinosaurs?_

"I want that book," she held out her hand and looked at him expectantly.

"What do you even need it for? I happen to be working on a project, and I certainly need it more than you."

"What makes you think you know everything, Draco Malfoy? I also happen to be working on a project and it requires that book," she pointed at it.

"A potions project? You're not even good at potions."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Top of my class. Made better marks than you did when you were in my year."

"Really?" _Interesting. _

"Yes, and if you will kindly remember a few days ago when I helped you with your potion, I would appreciate it if you would give me that book now."

"You helped me with something? I don't remember that." _Taking help from her? Who does she think I am?_

"Hellebore," she said simply, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh. Yeah." _Damn. She did help me… What do I do now?_

"Did it work, by the way?"

"Really well, actually…" Draco replied watching her closely for some sort of trick.

"I thought it would."

Draco sighed and let his arms slacken on the book, then handed it to her. Ginny sat shocked for a moment before eagerly reaching out and grabbing it and gingerly leafing through the pages.

Draco watched her with curiosity for a few moments before asking, "What are you looking for?"

She looked up at him, saw the sincerity in his eyes, and looked back down at the book to continue her search. "Something that will-" she was cut off by the entrance of Madam Pince, at which she quickly and inconspicuously hid the book beneath the pile of books.

Draco marveled at the speed of her reaction. _She's not half bad, that Weasel-girl. _

Madam Pince looked suspiciously between the two students. "What was all the commotion about?" When neither student hastened to reply, she said, "That's enough for tonight. See you tomorrow and try to be on time."

Draco and Ginny reluctantly grabbed their things and made their way out of the library. When they got outside the library door, they both stopped, both staring straight ahead.

"You'll tell me tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes. And you'll tell me," she replied.

"Yes."

"Thanks for giving me back the book."

"You are welcome."

There was an awkward silence in which both Draco and Ginny contemplated the civility of the words that had passed between them. How had they stumbled across a common interest in potions? And how had two violent fights in one night spawned some degree of mutual respect? Draco was baffled, so he responded the only way he could.

"Goodnight, Mudblood lover."

"Night, Ferret Boy," she replied with a smile.

He chanced a glance at her, saw her smile, and quickly looked away with a smirk on his face. _Evil indeed_. He chuckled to himself as he walked away, thinking that perhaps it was a good thing that she was a bit evil. He always liked to think that it was healthy for everyone to be a bit evil. It kept people on their toes. And so he would have to be around the girl. She had proved to be quite different than he expected, and he looked forward to another long night of pondering what exactly had gone on in that room.

AN: Please, please review!


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry this chapter has been so long in the making. Here it is, I hope you enjoy it as it moves the plot along. Thanks for sticking with me.

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Draco awoke with a start the next morning. His first thought was, _I actually fell asleep?_ _I was sure that I would be up all night. Just like every other night… _ Secondly, he noticed that there were still others in his room. _That is unusual_. He stretched and rubbed his hands over his eyes, but he removed them instantly with a shard intake of breath. _That hurt! _He heard the other boys snickering and looked up to see Crabbe and Goyle watching him intently.

"Is there a problem, boys?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, what happened to your face?" Goyle snickered as Crabbe made an undignified attempt to withhold a snort.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked in irritation.

Crabbe stepped forward, "Looks like someone beat the hell out of you." Then he turned to Goyle, "We should find him and give him a pat on the back."

Draco's eyes widened, and he quickly stood. "Excuse me?" he asked angrily. Crabbe and Goyle's tough boy acts fell through instantly as they fled from the room.

Draco grumbled as he moved into the bathroom and toward a mirror. The sight that greeted him was not at all welcome. _A BLACK EYE! I, Draco Malfoy, cannot have a black eye. I will lose all of my fellow peers' respect… Well, I'll lose more of their respect anyway. _He grimaced as he leaned closer and poked at it.

"Ouch! That bloody hurt!" he shouted at no one in particular.

"Oh, you poor dear. That is a right nasty shiner you have there. You best get up to the hospital wing immediately." _The mirrors always talk when you want them to shut up and won't say a bloody thing when you could really use it._

"No, thank you. Besides the fact that I do not take advice from inanimate objects, I cannot go to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will know I have been fighting, and if I get one more detention I am liable to go crazy." _Detention_, he thought. _Of course! It was that little Weasley bint. SHE did this to me. _

Draco quickly ran through his morning motions, but a great ugly bruise around his eye marred his usually impeccable appearance. He let out a frustrated sigh as he checked the mirror one last time before heading out of the dormitory toward the kitchens. _There is no way that I am going to the Great Hall looking like this and letting that little blood traitor brag to all of her mudblood friends. I am not subjecting myself to that. _

As he rounded the corner, however, he found that he did not have much say in the matter. Professor Slughorn stood blocking his path.

"Mr. Malfoy, my boy," the robust man said, "What have you been doing? You haven't been fighting again, have you? After than incident with Miss Weasley, I should have thought that you had learned your lesson."

Draco gritted his teeth, "No sir," he replied, "I've just had an accident. Anyway, if you'll excuse me…"

"No, no, boy. Where are you going? You are meant to be in the Great Hall for breakfast. You are late as it is, and I will not stand idly by while you get up to more mischief." With that, Slughorn motioned for Draco to move forward with him in the direction of the Great Hall.

By the time he arrived at the door, Draco was seething. Nothing could have made his morning worse. Except one thing, and the little girl herself walked up at that moment.

As she approached Draco noted her frowning at her. _She should be bloody proud at what she has done to me_, he thought bitterly. _Well, I shouldn't give her any time to gloat._ He made to enter the Great Hall quickly, but she was close on his tail.

"Draco!" she called out just as he stepped inside the Great Hall. _That showed her, _he thought as he moved toward the Slytherin table taking in the faces of his peers. Some looked confused, but most looked absolutely joyous.

Once he had finally steeled up the courage to take his seat, he heard someone behind him say, "Looks like Malfoy finally got what was coming to him."

Draco whirled on the younger student, and was about to pull out his wand when Professor McGonagall rushed over.

"Put your wand away, Mr. Malfoy. Have you been fighting again? Will you never learn? Twenty points from Slytherin. Next time I won't be so forgiving. Now leave. If you won't eat, you have no reason to stay," and she ushered him into the entrance hall away from the student population.

"At least now I can go down to the kitchens like I had planned," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Are you in the habit of talking to yourself Draco?" asked a knowing voice. He looked up to see a redhead leaning against the wall.

"Go torment someone else, Weasley."

Ginny raised her eyebrow. "Weasley, is it? Then I suppose I will have to save my healing salve for someone who deserves it."

Draco turned to see her putting a small jar into her bag. "Wait. You have some? Give it here."

Ginny looked up incredulously. "Does that work on other people?" she asked.

"…yes," Draco replied. _Well, maybe not, but I can't back down now._

Ginny shook her head, but pulled the jar back out of her bag. "You are one misguided boy. Next time remember it helps to say please. Come on, lets get out of the corridor if you don't want everyone in school talking about your black eye."

"It is your fault, you know!" Draco replied angrily.

"Yes, and I am sorry. That happened before we started talking. I felt bad, which is why I tried to give you this before you went in and faced the whole school, but you ignored me."

That is why she was trying to get my attention? Bloody hell. It is my own fault then, isn't it?

Once they found an unused classroom, Draco and Ginny put down their things. Draco perched atop a desk and opened the jar, taking a big clump of the salve onto his fingers.

"Oh honestly, Draco." Ginny stepped forward and stopped his attempt to smear the stuff all over his eye. "Firstly, you only need half of that amount, and secondly, if you get it in your eye you will be crying until next week."

"Malfoys do not cry."

"Fine, then your eye will be watering until next week, which looks strangely like crying, so stop. Give me that." Ginny scooped about half of the cream off his fingers and motioned for him to put the rest back into the jar. She scooted onto the desk facing Draco and leaned in so that she could see that she didn't manage to get any cream into his eye.

"You know if you had let me go to a bathroom I would have done this myself."

"Yes, and that would have been a disaster, and I'm sure you would have blamed me for your continuing pain," she said while dabbing the salve gently around his eye.

"Probably. Ow. Don't push so hard," Draco said flinching away.

"Sorry, don't move. Come back here," she said moving closer again.

Moments later Ginny had finished rubbing the salve in and cocked her head to the side admiring her handiwork. "All better," she said hopping off the table.

"I am not a child. Don't speak to me like one."

"Trust me, I know you are not a child. I doubt you even had a normal childhood. It was all rules and no nonsense at your house, wasn't it?"

"Maybe, but I grew up civilized unlike you. I don't hit decent blokes. I use my hands for sophisticated things. I can play the piano, you know."

Ginny tried to hold a serious face, but the corners of her mouth curved up. "Can you, Draco? Well, now I know what I have missed out on."

"Are you mocking me?" he asked seriously.

"No, Draco. And since when have we ever been able to talk to each other for this long without threatening bodily harm once?"

"I think you've done enough bodily harm for the next century," Draco said while lifting his hand to his eye. He was pleased to notice that it was no longer swollen and there was no pain. "Thanks."

Surprise flicked across Ginny's face before she controlled it and said, "You're welcome."

"Now I am off to potions." Ginny grabbed her bag and started to make her way to the door, but was stopped when she felt Draco's hand grab her arm.

Ginny looked down at the hand then up to his face, confusion evident in her features.

Finally Draco said, "I'll see you tonight?"

"Well, unless detention is suddenly an elective, yes, you will see me."

"And you'll tell me about your potion?"

Ginny frowned slightly. "Yeah, I'll see you tonight. Bye." And she rushed out the door.

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Draco hated to admit it, but he was really curious about what Ginny could possibly be working on. He had no idea that other students worked on private potions projects. He also had no idea that Ginny had any skill in potions until she had pointed it out to him.

For the better portion of the day, Draco thought about what Ginny's potion could be. He was convinced that it was some silly girl potion for hair or faces by the time detention rolled around.

When Draco arrived, he found Ginny already working on a box of books in the corner. He cleared his throat as he entered waiting for her to greet him, but she made no move. Draco frowned. _Maybe she hasn't noticed yet_, he thought, so he cleared his throat a bit louder. Still no response.

Finally he said, "Hello, We- Ginevra."

Ginny turned around and smiled halfheartedly. "Hello," she replied.

"What is wrong with you?" Draco asked. _Nice and subtle_, he thought sarcastically. _Good work._

"Long day," she replied simply.

Draco furrowed his brow. "Okay."

Draco worked in silence for almost an hour before he was tired of being confused. "Why won't you talk to me? You were fine this morning, and now you are ignoring me."

"I'm not ignoring you," Ginny replied, not looking him in the eye.

"What happened?" he growled in frustration.

"I told you. It was a long, irritating day."

"Well, don't linger on it. Let's think about something else. Tell me about your potion."

Ginny frowned again.

"Come on. You said you would tell me."

"You tell me yours first," Ginny replied.

Draco made a strangled sound of frustration before finally saying, "Okay fine. A shield potion. I want something that you don't have to do before every spell. I got the idea from a hat I saw at Diagon Alley. It shields whoever is wearing it. But a hat can fall off. A shield potion can last for a set period of time no matter what is going on around them."

Ginny looked at him thoughtfully. "That's easy. My brothers invented those hats."

Draco scoffed. "What those moronic twins?" He stopped when he saw the look on Ginny's face. "I mean. That is a really good charm."

Ginny had to laugh at the boy's attempts not to anger her. No doubt it was because she had successfully given him a black eye the last time the two had fought.

"How far have you gotten, then?" Ginny asked after she caught her breath.

"Well, your hellebore suggestion helped to stabilize it, but it shortens the lifespan of the potion, so I need to find something to lengthen it again. Or another stabilizing element that won't shorten it in the first place."

Ginny nodded thoughtfully. "I'll give it some thought," she said.

"So now it is your turn."

After a few moments Ginny said, "How do I know I can trust you. I mean mine isn't exactly a _shield _potion." She emphasized the word, shield, as if his potion was so much less important than hers. Draco was about to respond when she continued. "I mean if mine was completed and was put into the wrong hands, it could be horrible. In the right hands, it would save so many lives."

"And who is to decide whose hands are the right and wrong ones? Potter? The boy doesn't have any sense. Gryffindors are too stubborn and pigheaded to listen to anyone else's advice."

Ginny shook her head in frustration. "We already discussed this. I don't support him anymore. Maybe we both support the same cause, but that doesn't mean that I support his methods. I think people put too much faith in him and soon he is going to get power hungry."

"Really?" Draco asked.

Ginny only nodded.

"Well then you should remember that I told you that while I do not support the Dark Lord and his methods, I do support his cause. So no need to fear me running off to tell him all of your little secrets."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe that you defend all of that pureblood stuff."

"You should too. You come from an ancient magical pureblood line. It isn't your fault that your parents are muggle lovers."

"Is that some roundabout way of saying that I am not half bad?"

"No," Draco replied too quickly to be believed.

"I thought not," Ginny replied with a smile.

"You almost changed the subject, but no such luck. Tell me your potion. You have my word as a Malfoy that I will tell no one." He put his hand out for her to shake. Ginny looked at him suspiciously before giving in and shaking it.

"Fine," she said and leaned against a box of books on the floor. "I am trying to make a protection potion against dark magic within the body. My brother was attacked by a werewolf last year, so he has some of the dark magic within him. I want to create something that will purge the body of it, and protect it from further dark magic. Like the unforgivable curses."

"How do you even begin to make something like that?" Draco asked in amazement. _This kid doesn't play around, _he thought in awe.

"I actually got the idea from Harry. His mum used some ancient love magic to protect him, and I thought I could somehow incorporate that into my potion. It has been hard finding any resources though."

"Wow," said Draco, at a loss of what to say. "I can understand why you wouldn't want some people to have it. They would have access to dishing out the dark magic without ever having to receive it."

Ginny nodded and pulled the book from the night before out of the corner. "Here, it is your turn to look through this. I didn't really find much useful except stuff for the basic protection part."

"You know, our projects are kind of similar. Maybe we could help each other out?"

Ginny looked at him a moment before saying, "I'll think about it. For now, though, I will keep doing this while you have a look through that book. I'm sure you'll find something in there that will work, then you won't need my help."

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AN: Please review?


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Look how quickly I managed to get another one out! Don't you just love me? Or at least want to review?

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Draco entered the room for detention on Monday night, and just as the door closed he let out a cheer. Ginny jumped, and looked at him incredulously. Draco Malfoy appeared to be… smiling.

"I did it!" Draco said as he approached her. "I just finished."

"And it works?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"Well, I haven't tested it yet, but theoretically it works. And I took some without dying."

Ginny snorted. "You took some even though there was a chance that it would go all wrong and you would _die_?"

"I may be exaggerating just a bit," Draco replied motioning a very small amount with his fingers. A grin was still plastered across his face.

"Well let's see it in action," Ginny said as she whipped out her wand. Draco made a motion to stop her, but she was too quick for him.

Before he knew what had happened, Ginny threw a Bat Bogey hex at him, but it bounced harmlessly off of him and rebounded onto her. Ginny had never been on the receiving end of that hex, but it certainly opened her eyes to why most boys seemed to be afraid of her.

After a few moments of Ginny wrestling to stop the hex and Draco trying to look guilty instead of amused, it ended as quickly as it began.

"What the bloody hell was that! You didn't say that it would rebound!"

"You didn't give me a chance to! You were all trigger-happy. I suppose you were just dying for an excuse to hex me again," he said defensively.

"That is not fair! Those things are bloody evil!" Ginny replied motioning wildly about her.

Draco tried to stifle a laugh, but it came out as a snort, which further increased his urge to laugh. Finally he burst out laughing, tears of mirth trailing down his cheeks. Ginny tried to remain indignant, with her hands on her hips and her eyebrow raised as a challenge, but the sight of Draco Malfoy laughing himself to tears was so unusual and welcome that she ended up laughing alongside him.

A few minutes later Draco finally managed to control himself and looked curiously at Ginny who was still red-faced from laughing.

_Was I just laughing with a Weasley? Not laughing at her? No, certainly I was laughing at her. She deserved to get attacked by her own bloody bogies. Yes. It serves her right for attacking me. That was my plan all along… to humiliate her. _Draco frowned. He should be thinking like that, because he was fairly certain that he still hated the girl. She is everything he looked down on in life: poor and associated with lesser beings. Then why did he have this urge to spend time with her? _She likes potions. Yes, I am only fraternizing with her because of her potions knowledge. I will use her to get ahead, then get rid of her._ Draco frowned again, and Ginny finally caught his eye.

"What are you thinking about?" Ginny asked.

"How is your potion coming along? I finished mine, so I need something to do. I'll help you." _How is helping the little Weasley using her? _Again, he frowned. _Did I just offer to help a Weasley… again? _He shrugged and looked back up at Ginny.

"You okay?" she asked. "You seem to be having some inner dialogue- you are all frowns and shrugs. It is a little weird."

Draco waved off her question. _As if I would tell her anyway, _he thought. Then he frowned again. _But I have told her things. A lot of things that no one else knows. _He heard Ginny chuckle under her breath and looked up at her suspiciously.

"Why do you talk to me, Weasley?" Draco asked.

"Weasley? I thought we were past that, _Malfoy_."

_Yes, I did suggest she call me Draco. Why would I do that? _"Ginevra. Why do you talk to me?"

Ginny shifted uncomfortably. "Because we have detention together every night. And because we actually have something in common. No one else wants to talk about potions."

Draco let out a sigh of relief. "So you don't fancy us friends or anything?"

Ginny did not look him in the eye as she said, "Me, friends with a Malfoy? Not likely."

"Right. Good then." _Is that a good thing?_ Draco shook his head to clear his mind. "Right, so how is your potion going? Any progress?"

Ginny grimaced. "None. I can't manage to find anything that will fill the love aspect of the potion except for cheesy love potion ingredients, but that is hardly true love, and I don't think it is quite as strong as I need it."

"Do you need my help?"

"…no."

"No?" he asked.

"…yes." Ginny looked up at him sheepishly.

"I knew it! Okay, good. So I was thinking about this today while I was waiting for mine to mature. What if you did a combination potion- you know where you place spells on the potion during brewing. I know a lot of really complex potions use that method, and yours is certainly complex."

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know that might be just what I need." With that she set off to a pile of books that she had recently worked through. "I thought I saw a book on ancient spells over here that might have something in it."

Draco brightened. "So did I! Let me see if I can find it."

A few minutes later, the two were seated cross-legged on the floor in the center of the room with mounds of books around them, eagerly flipping through their respective books.

The pair spent almost an hour searching their books, detention forgotten, making notes, and consulting each other before they heard a door open and looked up to see Madam Pince who raised an eyebrow at them.

"I haven't heard any shouting from in here today. Have you decided to put aside your differences to work on the project?" Draco and Ginny nodded. "Then why is this taking so long to complete. I never intended you to be in detention this long, and you have barely made a dent in the project."

Ginny looked at Draco, then said, "Well, you see, we are just working hard to make sure that it is done correctly. Cataloguing is a difficult task, so we are inspecting each book to be sure and get it into its proper categories."

Madam Pince looked skeptical, but finally said, "I do appreciate that, and of course I want you to do it properly, but at the rate you are going you will be here until you are forty."

Draco cleared his throat. "We'll try to speed it up a bit. We're sorry."

Madam Pince gave them one more suspicious look before leaving them and closing the door.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this during detention," Ginny said finally.

"Right," said Draco. "How about we meet somewhere during our free periods?"

"You want to meet me somewhere of your own free will?" Ginny asked teasingly.

"Well, no. Yes. For the potion. You've got me intrigued, and I want to help."

Ginny sighed. "Okay, I have free periods on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:00 until dinner. Are you free then?"

"Yeah, that is when seventh years take Divination. I hate that class and dropped it first chance I got."

"Perfect. We'll meet then."

"Where? I usually work in an abandoned classroom down in the dungeons."

"I don't think it would be a good idea for me to be seen roaming the dungeons during my free period. There is a girls' toilet I always work in. Hermione told me about it. No one ever goes in there because of Moaning Myrtle."

Draco blanched. "Surely we could find somewhere else?"

"No, I have been working there for a while now and it wouldn't seem strange for either of us to be in that part of the castle."

Draco paused before replying, "Fine."

"Good, now let's get to work on these books." She motioned to the piles of books around the room.

"Great," he replied sarcastically. "Should be fun."

The pair stayed later than usual that evening to make up for their hour of not working. By the time they left, the library and corridors were deserted.

As they were about to part, Ginny asked, "Do you know where Myrtle's bathroom is?"

Almost too quickly Draco replied, "No, never been there." _Except for that time I went to cry and Potter nearly killed me, _he thought.

Ginny furrowed her brow for a moment as if in thought, then smiled and said, "I'll show you now while everyone is in their common rooms."

Draco was about to protest when Ginny grabbed his by the arm and pulled him in the right direction.

The corridors were chilly that evening and Ginny had not put on her cloak before she went down to detention, so she pulled her arms around herself to stay warm. Draco noticed her shivering and before he realized what he had done he put his cloak over her shoulders. The shocked look on Ginny's face and his own confusion almost prompted him to grab it back from her, but he refrained from doing so. She had stopped to look at him.

"Draco Malfoy, are you being nice to me?"

Draco shook his head and replied, "I think I am. Why am I?"

Ginny shrugged. "Thanks, though."

"You're welcome." Draco saw that they were nearing Myrtle's bathroom.

"Here we are," Ginny said. "Do you want to meet Myrtle? She's a bit emotional, but not half bad."

"She is a ghost, you realize?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Ginny asked.

"Besides the fact that she is dead, nothing I guess."

"Good." With that, she dragged him into the bathroom. "Myrtle!" Ginny called. "I brought you a boy!"

Draco looked horrified. "What are you doing? You sound as if I am meant as bait or something."

Ginny shrugged as she saw Myrtle float out of a bathroom stall. "I know that boy," said Myrtle.

Ginny looked at Draco then back to Myrtle. "You know him?" she asked.

"Yes. He was crying last year." Draco's calm persona snapped. Immediately he was behind ice-cold eyes and an expression of fury.

"You cried in a girls' toilet?"

"Oh yes, it is so funny!" Malfoy cried. "Go and tell all of your friends. No, they know anyway, because Potter saw and tried to KILL me. That is really what this is all about isn't it! Give me that!" Draco snatched his cloak from Ginny's shoulders and stormed out.

"What just happened?" Ginny asked Myrtle incredulously.

"I think he was a bit angry," she replied in her singsong voice.

"Because he thought I was mocking him." Ginny ran out of the bathroom, leaving Myrtle to call after her.

When Ginny finally caught sight of Draco on his way down to the dungeons, she called out to him out of breath. "Draco! Stop, please. Just stop!"

Finally he stopped and turned, his eyes cold and his lips pursed. "What do you want? No, I don't care. You are a Weasley. You are poor. And worst of all, you are a blood traitor. I don't even like you. I hate you. And I think you should leave."

"Well then you've just proved your point haven't you? If you really hated me, you wouldn't let me leave until you had hexed me halfway to China," Ginny reasoned, hoping she was right.

Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it straight at her. "If that is what you would rather."

"Draco, please stop. You know I didn't call you up to the bathroom to mock you. Please, let's just stop fighting. We have been getting along lately, though I can't imagine why." Ginny looked up to see Draco smirk and lift his eyebrows. Taking this as a sign of decreased hostility, she continued, "After all you are an arrogant blood purist, and I am a humble blood traitor." Draco nodded.

_It is much easier to communicate with the girl as long as I can pretend that I am doing it because of how much I despise her_, Draco thought. _I cannot take her kindness, and I will not have her pity._

Ginny, feeling heartened, said, "So can we still be sworn enemies who like to work on potions together? I could really use your input, as much as I hate to admit it. I might even consent to flatter you a bit if you are really useful."

_Yes, sworn enemies, _Draco thought. _That is a relationship I can understand. I know how to work that one. Friendship… more? That is impossible to comprehend. Being enemies is much better._

Draco smirked. "Yeah, without me you'd probably do something stupid like add a root too early and burn all your hair off. I can hardly deride your red hair if you haven't got any."

"Exactly," Ginny said relieved. She stepped forward and put her hand out for him to shake. "You don't hate me, just everything about me?"

He stepped forward and shook her hand. "Well, not everything," he replied. "I do quite like your humor. And you talk to me, which is more than I can say about the rest of my house," he paused, then continued, "or the rest of the school for that matter."

"So I will see you tomorrow in our _glamorous _laboratory?" Ginny asked.

"I think I can make time," he replied, smiling.

"Good. See you then."

"Goodnight. And if you weren't my sworn enemy, I would probably apologize for acting like a prat earlier."

Ginny smiled and tipped her head at him. "And if you weren't _my_ sworn enemy I would tell you not to worry about it. And I might even forgive you." She exaggerated a shiver and said through a broad grin, "Lucky for me, though, you _are._ That might be horrific."

Draco put on a false face of seriousness. "Yes, terrible. It might inspire to great acts of violence. Like… torturing puppies."

"You wouldn't!" Ginny cried.

Draco lifted his hand to stroke his chin. "Too bad we will never have the chance to find out."

Ginny shook her head. "Too bad. Now hurry up and leave before I think you've had a change of heart."

"Goodnight, weasel."

"Goodnight, ferret."

----

AN: Well that was unexpected. I started writing in the middle of the afternoon and I don't think I write as well at that time of day. I apologize if it seemed a bit here and there, but I think the end was what I wanted to happen. Next chapter should be more focused.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry, it has been so long! I am in the process of preparing my graduate school applications (I am applying to PhD programs in Art and Architectural History with an emphasis on ancient architecture), which requires reworking two academic writing samples, so after all of that, the last thing I want to do is write anything else, but I took a break today, so here we are. Apparently I had written the first few pages already and forgotten about them, so pardon me if the chapter is a little strange. But yay for an update!

SSSSSSSSSSS

When transfiguration ended Tuesday afternoon, Draco had no problem slipping away from his classmates, because they seemed more interested in avoiding him than anything else. _Not as if I mind_, he thought as he walked slowly in the direction of Myrtle's bathroom.

Draco was not particularly excited about spending his free time in a girl's bathroom, but if he would be working on potions it was not so bad. The evening before Draco created a list of possible ingredients that he wanted Ginny to test in her potion. He was actually very interested in her project, because it was significantly more complex than any he had actually attempted. Draco usually tended to be more practical than visionary, because he hated to fail. This time, however, if the potion failed, he had an excuse: Weasley did it. And that was a comfort.

As he approached the entrance to the bathroom he checked to see if the hallway was clear, before quickly darting inside. Draco was amused by what he found inside. Seated cross-legged in a sink was Ginny Weasley with a book open in her lap, quill balanced over her ear, and brows furrowed in concentration. On the floor around her were books and scattered scraps of parchment.

"Made yourself comfortable, have you?"

Ginny looked up at the sound of his voice, smiled, then looked back down at her book while replying, "Yes, well, this is hardly the most comfortable room in the castle. It is all tile and porcelain. And I'll have you know, if you get rid of the faucet, sinks are actually not that bad."

Draco laughed a little before opening a stall door and transfiguring a toilet into a squashy armchair.

"That is hardly fair," Ginny noted as she scribbled a note onto a piece of parchment. "And besides, how will you explain an armchair in a bathroom if anyone asks. As least the sink belongs here."

"Oh, and there is nothing strange about your books and notes filling up the place, or the fact that there is a redhead perched in the sink? Besides, it is a laboratory now."

Ginny shrugged.

"Okay, so tell me what we have going on," Draco said as he moved his armchair into Ginny's workspace. He reached down to the floor and scooped up a handful of parchment. "May I?" he asked before reading through them.

"Go ahead," she said closing the book in her lap. "I haven't really done any practical work on the potion yet. I have been trying to work out the theory of it first. I figure there are two main elements to it. One is the dark protection, which obviously needs to have some means by which to detect dark magic, and a means by which to destroy the magic without harming the body. The second is a shield element that will prevent any other dark magic, or harmful magic at all, I suppose, from entering the body. That is where your potion will come in handy, if you will let me borrow from it, of course."

"We are a team now, so what is mine is yours."

"Perfect. Okay, so the real problem is the first part- I am fairly certain I can cook up some sort of detection potion. My mum used them on us all the time when we were small to see when we were ill. It could detect the illness and tell her what it is. I figure we can just alter that a bit to target dark magic."

"So," Draco began leaning forward in his chair, "we have three parts: detection, destruction, and protection. Are you planning to do a single potion that will do all three at once? If you do, you will have to deal with mixing ingredients, because you may run into the problem of an ingredient you have to have for detection completely counteracts one you need for the protection."

"I thought about that, and if I have to do them separately I will, but the detection and destruction parts definitely have to go together, because they are no good separately."

"Why detect in the first place? Why not just create something that will dispel all magic in the body?"

"I don't want to get rid of any positive magic working for a person, especially things that cannot be replaced. For example, anything left by Harry's mother's love protection would be swept away along with any negative effects from Voldemort's curse."

Draco sneered. "I thought you weren't doing this for Harry. I don't want to help out that little nancy boy."

"I thought we already determined that I am not. It was an example. If you don't trust me you can leave."

Draco glared at her a moment before conceding. "Fine. Go on."

"So detection is a piece of cake. For destruction I am looking for the love component, because I figure what can kill hate but love? That is where these books come in." Ginny motioned a hand across a teetering tower of books to her left. "Ancient love spells. I liked your idea about a combination potion, and I figure the love spell will be more genuine than a love potion. Besides, after what happened to Ron last year, I am not a huge fan."

"I heard about that. Romilda Vane is a menace to society. You have no idea how many times she has tried to slip me a potion. Of course, I am smarter than you bloody Gryffindors, so I know one when I see one."

"Yeah, yeah, you're wonderful. Now get over yourself. Part three is the protection and with your potion plus our love magic we could seriously do some damage. So let's get to work. I suggest you work on a list of ingredients that could be useful in the potion- one way or another- and the effects of combining them." Draco raised an eyebrow. "What?" Ginny cried exasperated.

"I already did that." Draco produced a sheet of parchment filled with potions ingredients.

"Oh, well… Good for you. Find something else to do… Overachiever."

Draco laughed. "Your mad at me because I already finished what you want me to do? Is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

"No, it is fine, _Hermione_."

Draco gagged a little. "Gross. You're right. I'll never do it again." Ginny rolled her eyes and looked back down at her notes.

The two worked in semi-amiable silence for hours before Ginny's stomach let out a growl.

"Hungry, weasel?"

Ginny shrugged, but said, "Let's stop here. What did you get done?"

"Well, I found several spells that might work, but I'm not sure how they will combine with the potion. I think at this point, we should just start from the beginning and do trial and error. You said that you can make a detection potion, so lets do it, target it to dark magic, then work some spells on it."

"I agree. I've got a recipe that I think might work, though it may need a little tweaking. I'm not sure how I am going to get some of these ingredients, though."

Draco reached forward and took the list from Ginny. "These aren't too bad. Snape has all of them in his cupboard. I'll snatch some and bring them with me next time."

"You can do that?"

"I'm a Slytherin, I can do whatever I want."

Again Ginny rolled her eyes. "You are a prat, is what you are, but get me those ingredients and we'll start cooking."

"Done."

"Fine," said Ginny as her stomach growled again.

"Go eat, you pig." With that, Draco vanished his armchair and stalked out the door.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

When Draco entered the Great Hall for dinner, no one at his table spared him a glance. Draco sat at one of the few available spots left, near a group of first years at the end of the table. His meal went by uneventfully until he reached for another piece of chicken to find that a particularly porky blonde boy had cleared the platter. Draco lashed out at the boy with a few choice words, lamented the loss of the chicken, and found something else to eat.

Generally Draco stayed in the Great Hall until it was almost empty, because it was somewhat peaceful in the large room when no one was around. The echoes and quiet murmuring were oddly calming. Tonight was no exception. He was leaned back in the nearly empty room examining the sky above, when the large wooden door slammed open and someone came barreling in. Draco let out a surprised cry and fell backwards off of his bench.

Before he could pull himself off the ground he heard someone mutter, "Well that was dignified," which resulted in tittering laughter. Once righted and his hair smoothed, Draco glared around to see who had caused his embarrassment and saw Ginny sitting at the Gryffindor table shoving what was left of the food quickly into her mouth. Apparently she had not followed him out of the bathroom and was devouring what she could before the tables were cleared.

Draco glared at her until she looked up at him. She managed to look slightly ashamed before grabbing more food.

Finally the tables emptied of all but Draco and Ginny, sitting at their respective tables and doing their best to ignore each other. When the food remains finally disappeared, Draco heard a disappointed groan from the Gryffindor table, and he let out a chuckle.

"What?" Ginny called across the large room, her voice echoing. "I had just gotten to my dessert!"

Draco called out, "Maybe hungry little weasels should get to dinner on time instead of terrorizing the rest of the student body. I'm sure you caused half of the students to lose their appetites after seeing your voracious eating."

"_Maybe_," Ginny retorted angrily, "little ferrets should not vanish perfectly good toilets after they have been transfigured, because _someone_ will have to replace them!"

"Well maybe weasels should learn to tread quietly when entering a room late, because their hideous appearance might horrify the little ones."

Ginny's eyes narrowed and she stood, shouting a little louder, "Maybe ferrets should not be so bloody skittish and learn proper table manners! Honestly, you eat on the table, not under it!"

Draco's face flushed and he stood to yell, "Who are you to tell me about table manners, obviously your mother-" but Draco was cut off by a throat clearing from the head table. Both students' eyes widened as they looked up to find Professor McGonagall watching them with a cross between sternness and amusement.

"Now Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy, one on hand, you should know better than to shout in the Great Hall, however, it has been brought to my attention that you are already serving a protracted detention assignment in the library, so I will not add to it. I will, however, take five points each and ask you to kindly make your way to your detention where Madam Pince is no doubt waiting for her two tardy students."

Draco and Ginny glanced at each other quickly before grabbing their bags and hurrying out of the room.

SSSSSSSSSSSS

The days passed quickly and it was already time for the unlikely pair's next workday in the "laboratory." Draco beat Ginny this time, found a sink and perched uncomfortably in it while he waited. When Ginny arrived he offered her a bag of potions ingredients and Ginny smiled before pulling a caldron and other devices out of a stall.

The potion making experience went well. The two worked well together, because they were skilled at the art of potion making, and could work from the recipe with little communication. The recipe went together perfectly, without a single problem, and the pair sat basking their success as the potion cooled. It would be fully matured and functional once it dropped below 100degrees Fahrenheit, so Draco and Ginny chatted while they waited.

"So how are we going to test this?" Draco asked.

"Well, I guess we'll have o find someone with a dark curse? And make them drink it?"

"What if we poison them?"

"Choose someone you don't like?" Ginny asked with a feigned look of innocence.

"For a Gryffindor, you are evil!" Draco replied with a chuckle. "Though, I could suggest Crabbe or Goyle. I'm sure they've got all kinds of- do you smell that?" Draco asked suddenly.

Ginny sniffed and looked at the potion in alarm. "It shouldn't smell like that! What did we do wrong?" She snatched up the recipe and the pair leaned over the caldron to determine what the problem was.

All at once, Ginny heard Myrtle appear asking "What are you doing in my bathroom?! It smells awful!" and with a rumble, the caldron exploded in her and Draco's faces. The two were thrown back to the wall in a puddle of goopy brown liquid and a puff of black smoke.

From where she lay, Ginny could not see Draco, but she could hear him. The noises of disgust and pain were more than her present situation could handle and she burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at? Hurry up and get this off of me! It could be poisonous! It could be seeping into my bloodstream!"

"It could burn your precious hair right off of your head!" Ginny laughed.

"AHH!" Draco screamed and jumped up to the sink where he tried to splash water to clean off his face.

"Here, let me help." Ginny giggled as she got up, grabbed her wand, shouted 'Augamenti,' and aimed for Draco's face.

"Hey! Watch it!" he cried.

Moaning Myrtle, who had been watching the scene with mild disgust, decided to help matters by causing all of the sinks and toilets to overflow.

"Stop!" Draco cried. "Help me! I'm drowning!"

Ginny just laughed at Draco's now clean, but sopping wet figure, and turned her wand on herself to wash the potion remains off. Draco stopped whining and watched with intrigue as Ginny splashed around in the water of the bathroom.

All of a sudden, she ran over to him, linked her arm around his, and sang, "I'm singing in the rain, just signing in the rain! What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again!" Now Ginny cannot sing a note to save her life, she was running around a flooded bathroom kicking up water all over the place, and her wet hair was plastered to her head, giving the impression of a drowned cat, so Draco couldn't help but laughing.

In fact, after a few choruses of Singing in the Rain, he had caught on to some of the lyrics, and had started to sing along while swinging off of bathroom stalls and jumping into the sink to spray water into the air like a fountain. Finally, Ginny collapsed to the ground in a puddle of water of questionable cleanliness, and laughed until she couldn't laugh anymore.

Draco sat atop a sink that he had managed to shut off and watched the redhead get control of her emotions. He had never had so much fun in his life. His cheeks were sore from smiling, and his eyes twinkled with unshed tears of laughter.

When the two were finally calm enough to try to stand, Draco walked to Ginny, and offered her his hand. She took his assistance, stood, and smiled at him. "You are completely mental, you know that!" she said.

"Yes, well, it's your fault for singing that ridiculous song!" he replied with a grin.

"A _muggle_ song I might add," said Ginny with a smirk.

"And I already said it was ridiculous! Honestly who wants to run around singing in the rain? You get all wet and dirty."

"And you don't get wet and dirty by dancing in the toilet water of a girl's bathroom?"

"That's gross, Ginny," Draco said as he grimaced at his wet clothes.

"I'll show you what is gross! Look in the mirror! You are now the amazing WET bouncing ferret."

"Well, you are no paragon of beauty yourself, or dryness for that matter."

"And to think I was finding you rather charming?"

"And you wonder why I have no respect for the Weasleys! You find me hideous at my height of fashion and grooming, and find me charming when I have been recently drowned… by you!"

"And what a good look it is," Ginny joked. "I suppose I shall just have to drown you more often!" As she said this, Draco opened the door, allowing her to pass before him. When she stopped abruptly in the doorway, he pushed her and said, "Budge along! Out of my way."

Ginny whirled on him, "Don't tell me what to do you miserable little ferret!"

Draco looked shocked, but saw humor in Ginny's eyes, then noticed their audience. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood a few feet away looking shocked at the disheveled and wet apparition that was Ron's little sister, and the equally disheveled Draco Malfoy. Had it been any other girl, there probably would have been no doubt about what the two were up to in the bathroom. The pair's flushed cheeks would have told a far different story than the one that had unfolded.

Draco cleared his throat, "You seem to keep forgetting, weasel, that I am better than you, therefore I can tell you to do whatever I want, and you will obey like the slime that you are."

"Slime Malfoy? No, I believe that was the, uh, spell, that I cast on you. Lots of goopy brown slime. And you certainly looked dignified."

"And you look like a drowned rodent. Weasley, you should keep an eye on this little mongrel, she's going to get herself in trouble."

"Ahh, get out of here, Malfoy!" then she pulled him close by the collar of his shirt and muttered in a very menacing voice, "See you in detention, and do try to put on some clean clothes, Draco, you smell."

Draco almost laughed, then mimicked her tone and said quietly, "Well _someone _didn't work out her recipe very well. And you smell too, Ginevra, dear. See you later."

Ginny's mouth twitched at the 'dear,' then shoved him away and said, "And don't forget it!"

Draco sneered at her, then the trio, and then stalked away.

Until that point, the audience had stood in shocked silence, but Draco's departure snapped them out of it, and concerned words and ill-conceived threats poured forth in over-abundance. Ginny merely waved them off, and retreated to her dormitory, because truth be told, she did smell.

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AN: I rarely get reviews anymore, so if you want to keep me focused on the story, I will need to reviews. They help me to get excited and motivated, without them, it's not really worth continuing. I do this for you! REVIEW!!


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Well, today I am practicing my bad daughter-in-law act, and avoiding my father-in-law's birthday party. That is a little too much in-law action for me. So I have the apartment to myself, I ordered some Chinese take-out and I am ready to write. All of the reviews I got were great- and some were VERY useful. Since I have been very sporadic about updating this one, I manage to forget important bits of information- like Draco is still evil and he calls her Ginevra, not Ginny. Anyway, thanks for that reminder!

* * *

Whereas Draco's peers had been oblivious to his disappearance into detention every weeknight for weeks on end, Ginny had not been so fortunate. In fact, it had not escaped the hawk-eyed trio for longer than three days.

When they had learned that she would be spending her evenings with Malfoy in a dark corner of the library without supervision, they became frantic. Ginny fought tooth and nail against their mollycoddling for about a week until they just gave up on her. She disregarded their thinly veiled concern, and they tried to pretend that they didn't notice where she went all of the time. That was until she started disappearing even more frequently in the afternoons, and always to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. When Ginny discovered they had been following her ("Hey, Gin, what were you doing in Myrtle's bathroom today?"), she let loose another stream of angry swear words that would have done any sailor proud. The girl could definitely stand up for herself, but she had a way of losing friends by being a bit too fiery. After being torn into one too many times, Harry and Hermione determined that they no longer cared what Ginny and her rude mouth were up to, and Ron followed suit, because that was what he was best at.

That was, until they noticed something that disturbed them beyond all other possibility. First, they found Ginny, looking thoroughly snogged and wearing wet clothes that left little to the imagination, emerge from Myrtle's bathroom with none other than Draco Malfoy himself, who looked more human than he ever had- perhaps it was the trace of a smile on his cheeks or the sparkle in his eyes? At any rate that was bad enough, until they caught more glances of this unusual pair.

While in the library researching her entirely overdone potions essay, Hermione spied Ginny and Draco at the end of a narrow, dark row leaning over a book and whispering conspiratorially.

Ron saw a very well executed note pass in a crowded hallway as Ginny and Draco bumped (angrily?) into each other.

Harry noted that Ginny spent longer and longer at detention, and the longer she was there, the happier she seemed when she returned, which seemed highly counterintuitive.

The final blow, however, came one Saturday afternoon when Ginny and Draco had arranged to test out another version of their potion. So far they had managed to blow up innumerable caldrons and waste vast quantities of ingredients, but three recipes had made it past the blowing up stage. The first two had presented rather uncomfortable occurrences on the taker, with no dark magic detection properties. They hoped that the third time was a charm, and determined to test it as soon as it matured, which happened to be on a sunny weekend afternoon.

Ginny and Draco arranged to meet behind the broom shed near the Quidditch pitch, because the nature of the weather would make an indoor meeting place suspect. However, Ginny's disappearance toward the broom shed, a known snog spot, did not escape the trio, who decided it was time to intervene.

Ginny rounded the corner to find Draco with a frown on his face staring at a vial of putrid purple liquid. "Oh come now, it won't be that bad," she said brightly. "It can't taste as horrible as that brown stuff you made me drink last week, and we solved the wormroot problem, so you won't have to deal with the…" he voice trailed off and she looked down uncomfortably.

"I don't see why I even have to drink this! I am the dark wizard here, therefore you should try this potentially life-threatening potion, and then I can threaten you some more by throwing dark spells at you. That way if you die because the potion didn't work, it would be perfectly normal for a Weasley to die at the hand of a Malfoy. Now vice-versa? That is just wrong."

"You are such a girl, Draco."

"Excuse me, but we fixed that problem already, and for the record, it was _your_ idea to add the wormroot, and _I_ was the one getting the weird looks from Pomfrey."

Ginny giggled, "Ahh, but I always wanted a hermaphrodite for a best friend."

"First of all, ew, and second of all, sworn enemies, remember! I would never let a friend force this torture down my throat."

"Right, right. Get on with it already, I wanted to get some flying in today. Believe it or not, I don't actually enjoy your presence; I just tolerate it." Ginny's smile belied this sentiment.

"Fine, but don't mess up on the spell this time. Remember, say it just as I taught you, dark spells are easy to mess up."

"Yes, mother, now drink!"

Draco grimaced down at the vial, but before he could uncork it, he heard a gasp and looked up.

Peering around the corner of the broom shed was none other than the bushy-haired mudlood, Hermione Granger.

"Who is it?" called a voice from around the corner, and Hermione stuck out her arm in a vain attempt to hold the curious boys back, but once Harry saw the male counterpart to the pair behind the broom shed, he pushed Ron forward and said, "Ron, get control of your sister! She has lost her bloody mind!"

Ginny stepped closer to Draco in an attempt to hide the potion that he was still holding in his hand, but this motion surprised everyone around her, including Draco who stopped sneering at the trio long enough to shoot a glance of confusion at Ginny.

"Harry Potter," Ginny cried fiercely, her face flushing ominously, "don't you even dare to think that my brother has any more control over my actions that you did. I am my own person, I make my own decisions, and I can take care of myself!"

"Obviously not!" Harry shouted back at her. "You have no sense of self-preservation at all!"

"Oh and how do you figure that, Potter? Have you spent more than a few moments in my presence since you were so unceremoniously dumped?"

Harry spluttered for a few moments before replying, "No, but no one in their right mind would willing spend time with the ferret, _including_ his own house, let alone…" He broke off and wildly gestured to the pair in front of him.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ginny replied with false calm.

Harry's eyes widened and he looked wildly between the blonde and redhead in front of him before turning to Hermione and saying, "You are a girl, you're sensible, _you_ handle it."

"Always letting others fight your battles for you, Potter? It's no wonder she dumped you. This little vixen needs a man!" Draco fuelled Harry's anger, but managed to extinguish Ginny's. She looked at him with a mischievous grin before turning back to Hermione.

"So, Hermione, let's be sensible. We are _girls_ after all," Ginny glared at Harry for good measure. "What exactly do you three think we have been doing behind here that has turned my poor brother into a mute and wonder-boy into a moron?"

Hermione looked distinctly uncomfortable, and glanced at Ron, who was steadily becoming more and more red in the face before she said, "Snogging. You two have been snogging. We've all seen you sneaking around together. And now the broom shed? Honestly, I thought you were smarter than that!"

Ron gagged a little, and Harry choked on his air. Draco looked distinctly ruffled, and Hermione uncomfortable.

"Ah, well if that it all you are worried about," Ginny replied calmly, "let me put the rumors to rest." With that, she closed the gap between herself and Draco, grabbed him by the collar, pulled his face down to hers, and kissed him good and hard.

The surprised gasp that came from one of the offended bystanders caused Ginny to laugh a little into the kiss, and Draco took the opportunity to deepen it. Rather than pull away as he had expected, Ginny tightened her hold on him and rubbed her tongue against his. This unexpected burst of passion was met with the tinkle of shattering glass, as Draco dropped the vial of potion and pulled the fiery little redhead to him. The passionate couple forgot that this was a fake kiss between enemies, and that they were watched by a very angry audience and let loose all of the pent up frustration.

What seemed like ages later, when they finally pulled apart, Draco and Ginny stood alone and ruffled behind the broom shed. Ginny's hand flew up to her swollen lips and her eyes widened at the sight of a thoroughly snogged Draco Malfoy standing in front of her, his silvery eyes darkened with passion and wide with surprise. The pair stared at each other for a few moments before Ginny took a shaky step backwards.

Finally Draco broke the silence. "You made me ruin the potion, you little minx."

Ginny let out a sound somewhere between shock and humor before shaking her head. "We'll just have to make some more, I guess."

"Yeah, and _you_," Draco pointed a shaky hand at Ginny, "need to be more careful with this stuff. Potions don't grown on trees. And neither do enemies, for that matter!"

Ginny cocked her head at him. "Enemies don't grow on trees?"

"That's right! They don't! Any if you want to keep proper enemies you cannot kiss them like that! That was awful!"

"Awful! I am a great kisser, if I do say so myself!" Ginny retorted.

"Exactly!"

"Exactly? How can it be awful and great?"

"It is awful, because you kissed me like you… _liked _me."

The look of confusion, horror, and disgust on Draco's face was quite possibly the most attractive unattractive display of emotion Ginny had ever seen, but she remained calm enough to say, "Next time I kiss you, I will just have to make sure I don't try as hard." Then she turned and walked away from him with an evil little smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Once she had gotten a couple hundred feet away she heard him shout from the distance, "You know they are going to kill me now!"

Without turning Ginny shouted in reply, "I am counting on it! What else are enemies for?" She laughed a little, shook the unwelcome thoughts of a very attractive blonde from her head, and made her way back to the entrance to the school.

* * *

AN: Review if you love me? I am sorry this one is so short, but it was a good place to end. Thanks to **fire-fearie** for lighting a _fire_ (haha) under me to get a little bit of romance going, and to **Miss Black** for noting my inconsistencies- I went back and changed my mishaps in chapters 5-7 (using Ginny instead of Ginevra). And to everyone who reviewed with their favorite parts, because it makes it much more fun to write the next chapter knowing what it is that people like to read. So yeah, I look forward to reviews telling me their favorite parts. I know what mine is! "Enemies don't grow on trees!" 


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I am back again.

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Draco spent the rest of the weekend avoiding situations where he might come into contact with the littlest Weasley, not that it was hard. In fact, he realized that it was much more difficult to play their little after dinner games in the Great Hall, than to just ignore her. So why had he been doing it in the first place?

He was confused, and Ginny was hurt. He noticed the poorly hidden pout on her lips as he left the Great Hall Monday night before throwing her surreptitious glances or amusing half-threats at the expense of house points.

_Why should she even care? _he thought as he made his way up to the Astronomy tower before he was scheduled to be in detention. It was the first time he would have to see her since the kiss, and he wanted to have his head in order. Though he had slept much quieter since his burgeoning relationship with his potions partner began, the weekend had been plagued by sleepless nights. _Why should I care that she cares? What has she done to me? _

Draco stopped mid-step and frowned. _What has she done to me? She is… an enemy? But she kissed me, to get back at her friends for being nosy, know-it-all prats._ He cocked his head to the side, and thought, _Then it has nothing to do with me. She did it for show. She would have kissed anyone who was there. Probably even Goyle. _Draco gagged a little, but stood a little straighter.

_I knew that all along, _he thought to himself. _It was irrational to think that she wanted to kiss me. Afterall, I am a bad person; I hate muggles, I hate her family, and I hate everything about her. _Draco sighed, but in relief or regret, he couldn't be quite sure, and he slid down to sit on the step.

_Actually, it was quite Slytherin of her to do that. And her sassy little comment about kissing me again… If I didn't know better I would think that little miss Gryffindor was flirting with me. _Draco smirked. _I could play along, _he thought. _I could make bloody Potter wish he had never been born. To think his little girlfriend was running off with a Slytherin… _

Draco's conspiratorial smile was interrupted by a clearing throat. He looked up to find Ginny standing a few feet below him, her face masked of all emotion. _When did she learn to do that? _he wondered before asking, "Yes, Ginevra?"

Ginny stared at him piercingly before saying, "We have detention soon, and you left dinner early. I don't want you skiving off your work by running away to the Astronomy tower and leaving it all to me."

Draco raised an eyebrow at the formality in her voice and responded, "So what happened with the Golden Boy when you got back to your common room?"

A moment of silence passes with Ginny looking appraisingly at him before she said, "He ignored me. And I didn't mind it. It was kind of the point."

"I know, and a well-executed revenge it was. Very Slytherin of you."

"Exactly. You gave me the idea, anyway." Ginny seemed to relax just slightly.

"With my dead sexiness or my cleverness?" he asked with a wink.

"Your cleverness, of course. I could never tell you that you are sexy, because your head might explode," Ginny replied, some of the animation returning to her countenance.

_Weird, _Draco thought, _was she nervous? _"I should warn you that revenge should not always be exacted by snogging. In some cases it is highly inappropriate. Where Goyle is involved, for example."

Ginny's face broke into a broad grin, "Of course, I will only snog those that you deem worthy, oh wise one."

"Excellent, and as I am the only worthy one, you shouldn't try executing any more snog revenge without my approval. I can't have you thinking it is appropriate for a weasel to kiss a Malfoy whenever she pleases after all."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yes, next time I will ask permission to betray my friends and family by snogging you."

Draco grinned broadly, "Are you sure you weren't supposed to be in Slytherin?"

"Actually, the sorting hat thought about it, but I decided that eleven was a bit young to be burning bridges."

Draco's mouth gaped open. "Don't lie Weasley, it doesn't suit you."

"I'm not lying, _Malfoy_. Why would I even say that? It only goes against everything I was ever taught."

"And thinking that Weasel's little sister could be cunning enough to be offered a spot in my house goes against everything _I_ was ever taught. It really almost let you in? Let's go have a visit with the hat, eh? Nothing spells revenge like leaving the good house for the bad."

"Yes, Draco, let's ask McGonagall for a spot of tea and a interview with the Sorting Hat, at which time I will demand to be resorted so that I can snog you in public without worrying about my housemates murdering me in the night."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "I don't know about snogging me, but you would be in just as much trouble of being murdered in the night on the dark side because of me as the light. I'm in sort of a middle grounds."

Ginny nodded. "Me too, but we will both be six feet _under_ground if we don't get to detention soon."

"Right."

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

When they arrived to their little detention room at the back of the library they were shocked at what they saw. The boxes and books that normally littered the floor were all gone, but one, and Madam Pince stood with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

"Glad that you decided to join me," she greeted them tersely. "I almost decided to bring back all of the books and force you to continue."

Draco and Ginny looked at each other and back to Madam Pince in confusion. "We weren't done," Ginny said eying the single box.

"Well you've already been in here for far too long, and semester final exams are coming up then Christmas holiday. I thought you two needed to get out of this room, and I am sure that you have learned your lesson by now. You certainly don't stir up fights in the library as often."

Draco looked uncomfortably around before replying, "Yes, but we were trying to do a really good job. And it wasn't bad work… I kind of enjoyed it?"

Madam Pince let out a short laugh. "Since when do students enjoy punishment? I left you one box. Once you finish it up, you are free from your obligation." She swiftly left the room and closed the door behind her.

Draco and Ginny looked at each other and frowned.

Draco began, "That was-"

"-unexpected?" Ginny finished.

"Yes."

Ginny walked absently over to the final box, pulled it off the table, and put it on her regular spot on the floor.

Draco walked over and sat beside her.

"Condescending to sit on the floor tonight, Draco? How very unlike you."

"It feels weird."

"The floor?" Ginny asked.

"No, that this is our last night. I got used to it. What will I do with all of my freetime?"

"Spend it with me and our potion?"

"Will I?" he asked.

"…I think so."

Draco looked at Ginny appraisingly. "Yes, I suppose I will. Is that disturbing to you? I mean I don't even like you… I don't think."

Ginny laughed ironically. "Ah, what skill you have with words. I like tormenting you, and I like it when you are mean to me, because then I can be mean back. Does that mean that I like not liking you, or that I don't like liking you?"

"Did that even make sense to you?"

"Yes."

"Then I think the answer is number two."

"Which was that? The not like liking or like not liking?"

"Both."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Well it isn't like black and white," Draco answered. "It's kind of grey."

"Wait, but are we still enemies?"

"I think so, but enemies who kind of like each other? Because I like that you are good at potions, and you are pretty witty, and… a good kisser." _Ew, did I just compliment her? Malfoys do not do compliments_. But before he could take it back, Ginny spoke.

"That's… nice," Ginny replied in bemused humor. "Does that make us enemies with benefits?"

"Yeah! That is what we are. That makes sense. Enemies with benefits," Draco repeated to himself while messing with the corner of the cardboard box.

"That makes sense?"

"I think so."

Ginny shook her head to clear up her confusion, when it didn't work, she watched him for a few moments before pulling out a book and saying, "Let's get to work."

"I don't take orders from you," Draco replied.

"What do you mean? We are enemies with benefits, that means we are like friends without benefits, and friends don't command each other to do things, they suggest, and the other agrees before he upsets his friend," Ginny retorted in exasperation.

"That made absolutely no sense at all."

"Just get to work."

"Okay," he replied, and grabbed a book.

As the pair finished up the last two books, Ginny looked longingly at the empty box. "That is it," she said. "It is over now."

"Well," Draco responded after a moment, "I heard Madam Pince is getting another shipment of books soon. We could stage another library war? Library War 2.0?"

"…no, thanks," Ginny replied grinning.

"We could pretend like it is our life's ambition to become librarians and say we want to intern."

"Are you really so desperate to hang out with me that you would let all of your friends think your life's ambition is to be a librarian?" Ginny asked beaming.

"…no."

"No?"

"…yes?" Draco replied begrudgingly. _No, no, no,_ he thought. _Keep the emotions in!_

"Then how about we plan a date in the girl's bathroom to remake that potion you ruined."

"You kissed me!"

"And you liked it!" Ginny replied cheekily.

"I did not!" Draco replied heatedly.

"Then you would push me away if I tried to kiss you again?"

"Of course I would!" _Warning! Warning! _Draco fought desperately to justify this development. _This is not revenge! They aren't even here! I thought the benefits were for… oh Merlin._

Ginny crawled across the box to get closer to Draco.

"What are you doing, Weasel?" Draco asked abruptly.

Ginny sat back, and for a moment confusion flitted across her face, but it was gone again before he realized it. "I was just testing you," she said.

"Well keep your lips to yourself. They aren't those kind of benefits! There are only benefits when it… benefits me. And right now there is no Potty or Weaselby to humiliate, so it does not benefit me."

Ginny turned red in the face before standing and saying, "Fine. It's not like I wanted to kiss you anyway, I was just trying to prove something."

"Well you failed!" Draco bit back viciously. _What happened? _he thought frantically. _Something happened. She's mad, and she is leaving. _

"Fine!" she replied grabbing her things and stalking to the door.

"Fine!" he shouted at her back as she closed the door behind her. _Ha, at least I got the final word!_

But the door opened, Ginny stuck her head in and shouted a final, "Fine!" before slamming it behind her.

_What the bloody hell just happened? _Draco thought with a sigh. _She is mental. She tried to kiss me. Not that I care if she left angry. I don't even like her, so why should I care? But what if I was right and we are somewhere in the grey? What if she somehow managed to become a friend?_ Draco was unsure. He felt terrible and could not figure out what had just transpired with his favorite weasel. _This is why you don't have friends, _he thought miserably.

Moments later, a very angry Madam Pince entered the room and ordered the confused boy to return to his common room.

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AN: Boo, I am not wildly impressed with this chapter, but I needed them to have a bit of a falling out. Next chapter won't have anything really fluffy either, sorry to get your hopes up last chapter just to dash them away. But if you review me, then you may just be lucky enough that I will keep updating quickly so we can make them be friends again (and maybe more?), because lets face it, we all know that this dysfunctional enemy relationship is nothing more than friends in denial.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: So, I am completely embarrassed. I have mentioned that the continuity of the story is all wrong because of my intermittent updates, well now I have gone and messed it up big time… Dumbledore is DEAD! And he is giving out pearls of wisdom in chapters 7,8, and 9. I mean what the heck. If I hadn't written it so explicitly into the beginning of the story, I would have just ignored it, because only one reader (**XxtripplequestionmarkxX**) picked up on it, but no- it was a major point of the story. So chaps 7-9 are now Dumbledore-less, though the interactions were a lot of fun and several people's favorite parts :( Anyway, now I need to go back and read my early chapters again to see what I need to keep in mind when this chapter happens…

* * *

_How dare she? _Draco was furious. _How dare she think she can behave like that! If anyone is going to do any kissing or shouting or ANYTHING, it will be me! Now she thinks she has some sort of power over me! Honestly, a Weasley with power over a Malfoy? It is absurd! _Draco had successfully spent the rest of the week convincing himself that not only did he _not _like Ginny's attitude on Monday, but that he was offended that she had even tried to kiss him again.

_I am a blood purist! She is a blood traitor! She tricked me into helping her on her project, shame on me! She tricked me into letting her kiss me, double shame! And then_, Draco shook with fury, _then, she convinced me that not only were we enemies with benefits, but that I LIKED it!_

_Enemies indeed, _he thought angrily, as he noticed an opened potions book on his beside table. He threw the offending book at the wall and gave a satisfied smirk as it landed on the floor with a thud.

Draco grabbed his bags and rushed through the Slytherin common room trying, in vain to ignore the snickers from Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy who were watching him from the fireside. His heightened frustration and confusion had no doubt brought on an onslaught of sleep talking, that is, when he was able to sleep.

Most of the time Draco retreated into solitude to shout and throw things. Never before had his emotions been on such a pedestal for the world to see. His guarded countenance broke into a temper like none had ever seen before. Younger year students were being harassed at an unprecedented rate, and several ended up in the hospital wing with unusual curses. Of course, the Slytherins found it amusing, and no doubt reported all of the incidents back to their families. Yes, the Dark Lord would probably love to hear the temper this boy had on him, but the only one who could rile him up like this was the last person in the world who should.

Ginny Weasley was wreaking about as much havoc in her own house, though she had the decency to refrain from cursing the pants off of every student who walked by. Harry seemed to get the brunt of her frustration, if for no other reason than she couldn't stand him much at the moment either. Ron's concern manifested itself in words of warning to the other students when Ginny was running around in a wrath. Hermione had tried several times to determine the cause of Ginny's anger, especially because she seemed to be terrorizing the common room more frequently than usual, but her sensible concerns managed to get her hair burned off.

In the end, though, Ginny's frustration wore off to tired acquiescence. She and Draco had avoided each other with juvenile temper tantrums all the way through exams, and the Hogwart's Express was due in the morning to cart the student body away to their families for the holidays.

As the students slowly the Great Hall and returned to their dormitories to pack up for the holidays, Ginny sat poking at her food. She was not looking forward to spending the holidays with her brother, wonder boy, and know-it-all, but her mother had insisted she come home.

On the other side of the hall, a blonde-haired boy was similarly moping over his unexpected return for the holidays. He had received a letter that morning demanding he return home, because plans had changed. What the plans were and what they had changed to, he had no idea, but he knew not to expect a loving family who just couldn't wait to see him.

When Draco heard a strangled sound of frustration, he looked up and caught sight of Ginny wrestling with something on the end of her fork. She gave it one final shake, and what looked to be a piece of squash flew across the hall and landed at the foot of the head table just in front of its lone occupant, Professor McGonagall.

Ginny's face turned red as she heard muffled laughter from across the hall, and she looked up to catch the eye of Draco who seemed highly amused by her flying squash.

"Oh, be quiet!" she called across the room, rubbing her hand across her face sheepishly.

"And why should I listen to you?" he retorted angrily, his previous good-humor dissolved. _How can she do that? _he thought. _One moment I can be laughing, and the next I am ready to murder her._

Ginny stood, slammed down her fork on the table, and shouted, "Because I am the only one who even bothered to talk to you, Malfoy, or haven't you noticed?" Ginny stalked angrily through the large wooden doors.

In his fury, Draco gathered his things and made his way through the entrance hall down to the dungeons. Just as he turned a corner, though, he was stopped abruptly by an obstacle in the form of Ginny Weasley.

"What are you doing down here?" Draco snarled menacingly.

"I hate you, Draco Malfoy," Ginny replied simply.

"Is that all?" he asked bewildered.

"Yes. And what is the matter with you?"

"There is nothing the matter with me. It is you who has the problem."

"What, because I wanted to kiss you? I thought we decided that we were enemies with benefits, and the benefit certainly isn't the pleasure of your _charming _company," she replied sarcastically.

"That just goes to show that you know absolutely nothing at all!" he retorted furiously. _How dare she follow me and then insult me. We are on Slytherin territory now, and there is nothing she can do to get away from me if I wanted to hurt her._

"No, Draco, _you_," she poked his chest furiously, "_you _know nothing at all about interacting with people."

"I happen to know all of the social graces," he retorted indigantly.

"Oh, yes, and you proved that when you threw the world's largest temper tantrum?"

"Like you were any better! I saw what you did to the mudblood."

Ginny snorted, "Well, she deserved it!"

"Because of her filthy blood?"

"Because of her inability to shut her trap, actually."

Draco frowned and eyed Ginny cautiously. "What happened?"

"To her hair? It grew back… unfortunately."

"Vicious! I actually meant that day in the library, but that works too."

"What do you mean in the library? You went completely mental and then lots of yelling happened."

"Because you tried to kiss me."

"Because I tried to prove a point, actually, but I was wrong obviously, so there was no point to prove in the end."

"You were trying to prove that I actually liked kissing you even though I wouldn't admit it. What good would that have done?"

"At the worst, nothing at all, and at the best, we would have spent the last few weeks snogging instead of yelling."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Which of course I would _never _want because I _hate_ you and your insensitive ways."

"You know who hates each other?" Draco asked abruptly.

Ginny looked at him questioningly before answering, "…enemies."

"Right, and enemies aren't like black and white, there is always a little grey in the middle."

"What are you trying to justify, Draco?"

"Well, I rather liked it when we were… enemies." Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Fine," he continued, "I want to finish the potion."

Ginny chuckled. "Draco Malfoy, you are a moron."

"Yeah, yeah, I hate you too."

"Good," Ginny replied pointedly.

"Now that I hate you and you hate me, can I go downstairs? I get to look forward to a holiday with my lunatic family, and I need to get over whatever this," he motioned between them, "is, first."

"I thought you said we should think of ourselves as somewhere in the grey," Ginny said cautiously.

"And?"

Ginny shook her head, "Nevermind. Happy Christmas."

As Ginny turned to walk away, she felt a cold hand grip her wrist, twist her around, and back her up against the wall. She gasped as she felt the cool stone through her worn school robes, but she was instantly warmed as Draco's lips crashed onto her own. She immediately deepened the kiss, and her arms tightened around his neck, pulling his warm body closer to her own.

When Draco finally pulled back for air, Ginny slouched and tried to catch her breath after their passionate embrace.

"So, it is a good thing you hate me," Draco said finally.

Ginny laughed and brushed her hair out of her face, "Good thing."

"Happy Christmas, Ginevra."

"Happy Christmas."

Ginny gathered what was left of her energy, and retreated quickly from the freezing dungeons.

Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair before turning toward the entrance to his common room. _My father would LOVE to hear about this, _he thought bitterly.

As Draco muttered the password and entered the Slytherin common room, he did not see the dark-robed figure that had witnessed the entire exchange.

* * *

Draco Malfoy sat in a solitary compartment on the Hogwart's Express and tried to smooth the ruffles in his normal smooth façade. He could not figure out how she had done it. _Somehow she always manages to weasel her way back in! _Draco snickered at his little pun, before delving back into his mental dilemma. _I thought I was through with her. I was done. Then she showed up, and I _wanted _to keep talking to her. I _wanted_ to snog her senseless. It's just not normal. _Hogwarts was a land where the unlikely became likely- a sort of fairytale land, and the train was pulling him closer, and closer to the horrifying reality he called home

Draco had to remove any thoughts of the Weasley girl from his mind, so that he could practice the self-preservation tactic of Occulmency. While Draco no longer hero-worshipped his father, he was also not daft enough to openly double-cross him. Lucius Malfoy cared about his son for a single reason: he was an heir. However, if his son would not prove a worthy heir (raping, pillaging, killing, and the like), he still had a wife young enough to produce another, for that was _her_ lot in life- to bear babies whether she wanted to or not.

This year Draco was _supposed_ to be regaining his father's trust in his dark abilities- it was the only reason he wasn't done off with over the summer. "Do me proud," his father had said. Unfortunately, it wasn't said with a friendly clap on the shoulder as he pushed his son out onto the Quidditch pitch for the first game of the season. No, to do his father proud meant to torture and the like.

As the train finally slowed and pulled to a stop, Draco's defenses went up, and any thought of what had transpired over the semester a Hogwarts with potions, detentions, or the littlest Weasley was lost in a coldness and harshness that the Malfoy line prized.

* * *

The crisp morning air awoke Draco on Christmas morning. His fire had gone out in the night, and Draco cursed the irresponsible house elf, and he cursed himself for not being as commanding as his father, because they certainly never would have let the head of the house's fire go out.

Draco had forgotten how naturally his artifice came to him. Once the walls were in place, the icy prince was back, and nothing could have pleased his mother or father more. The ritual aristocratic celebrations were held as usual, but unusual were the surprised looks of the fellow Slytherins who saw him as icy as ever. _They expected me to burn_, he had thought. _They thought I went soft. Malfoy's do not go soft_, he thought bitterly.

After a shower and his morning preening routine, Draco slipped into a set of formal robes, and descended the stairs to join his mother for breakfast. Christmas was never a big ordeal at the Malfoy house, but he was expected to be polished before he arrived to greet his mother.

The sight of a dozen or so robed and masked figures standing at the base of the stairs sufficiently halted this routine. Draco's façade fell for a slip second; he faltered on the step and blinked. Then just as quickly, the walls rose and he resumed his trip down the stairs.

"Good morning, father. I didn't expect guests so soon."

"But surely a young man like yourself looks forward to receiving his gifts on Christmas morning. I shouldn't think he'd like being kept waiting."

Draco stopped at the last step, his hand lightly grazed the ornate handrail. He gazed at his father appraisingly before replying, "No, father." Draco had not spared a glance for the other figures in the room. He learned the hard way that it was impossible to tell the Dark Lord's followers apart when they didn't want to be, and it showed weakness to try. Instead, he took a mental tally of their numbers, and knew well enough that this was not a social call.

Inwardly he was quaking, but it would not do to show that now.

"I have determined that it is time to give you the greatest gift of all, Draco," his father said proudly with an ostentatious motion to the robed figures.

Draco fought inwardly. _What do I do now? I can't run. I can't hex them all without signing a death wish. I can't politely refuse. What do I do?_ he thought frantically, but his face was as stony as ever. _Buy more time, _he thought, _I need to buy more time, because I do not want this._

"Very well, father."

* * *

AN: And there you have it. I really am upset that I have let the story run away without any thought to the story I set up in the beginning, but this has been planned- this chapter, should be back on track, except the little snogfest at the beginning that I added for your reading enjoyment- otherwise we would have no DG in this chapter hardly at all. 


	11. Chapter 11

Ginny glanced again at the Slytherin table looking for the tell-tale flash of platinum hair. As of yet, Draco had not come into the Great Hall for the returning feast, and Ginny was becoming steadily more worried.

Her holidays consisted of explaining several times, with considerably more patience than she had at school, what _exactly _was going on with Draco Malfoy. The fire and spunk that made dealing with her at Hogwarts next to unbearable were less volatile at home, and she managed to convince them, with only a few injuries, that she did indeed hate Malfoy, and that they did not have to worry that she was going to run away with him. In fact, Fred and George, who had been alerted to the situation by Ron, seemed proud that she was using the ferret for her own purposes, though they did not approve of the means by which she achieved her manipulation.

At home, away from the mercurial Draco Malfoy, Ginny had some semblance of control over herself, so why was it that when she arrived at Hogwarts, visions of Draco jumped straight into her head again? She wanted to hex the satisfied smirk off of Harry's face as he laughed that Voldemort had finally finished Draco off like he should have, and that was why he hadn't returned. Luckily, Ginny was too stressed to act on it.

Where was he? Included in the disturbing lack of Malfoy at the Slytherin table, was the conspicuous absence of Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn at the head table.

Finally, as the meal was ending, a harried looking Slughorn escorted a severely disheveled Blaise Zabini to his seat at the Slytherin table. Zabini's face was bruised and contorted in pain as he sat amongst his friends, all of whom rushed to his side with faces of pity or anger.

Ginny's already diminished appetite vanished. What was going on with the Slytherins? As the Great Hall emptied, Ginny brushed off the curious glances and concerned comments of her peers and sat, her plate full, waiting for the Great Hall door to open and admit Draco. It never did.

* * *

Almost a week went by before Ginny finally caught a glimpse of Draco between classes. She had been so relieved to see him alive that she nearly ran over to him and kissed him right then and there, but her hurried advance was halted as he looked up at her from eyes hooded with malice. His icy eyes pierced her before he turned and walked in the other direction without a word.

Ginny did not allow herself to give in to her confusion or frustration until that evening. Seamus' unwanted advances, and Ron's infuriating encouragement, set her stress level over the edge, and with a strangled growl she grabbed her cloak and stormed from the common room. Before she knew what she was doing, she was huddled at the side of the frozen lake sobbing.

She could not comprehend what had happened. Draco's games were irritating, but never mean. He couldn't handle the thought that he was spending time with a Weasley, so he convinced himself that he was doing it for himself and that he hated her. She knew that, and she played along. Ginny was open-minded enough not to be plagued by the thought of Malfoy's name or past when she was enjoying his company, and she hoped that someday he would realize it too.

Their little game of hate, however, had taken a startling turn. Something had happened over the holiday that had turned her 'enemy with benefits' into a full-on vengeful enemy. She had never seen such coldness in his eyes, though she recognized the icy walls that had resumed their previous station behind his proud countenance.

Before the holidays Ginny had been in control- she played the game for him and she could call the punches. It was the nature of her personality to be domineering, and Draco was too busy fighting his own feelings to realize that he was submitting to it. Somehow, he had regained control, and Ginny felt completely helpless.

As the snow slowly melted against her kneeling form, Ginny heard the crunching snow indicate that she was no longer alone. She closed her eyes, calmed the confusion and frustration raging within her, and put up her own walls. If he could close himself off, so would she, but she thought it promising that he had sought her out.

* * *

Draco's teeth clinched in fury as he advanced on his target, his wand outstretched. Ginny heard him coming, but she didn't move. _She is afraid of me_, he thought. _As well she should be_.

He stopped a few feet behind her, his wand trained at the back of her head.

"Hello, Draco," he heard her say cautiously under the whistling wind.

Draco refused to reply, but steadied his arm, which had wavered slightly at the sound of his voice. _You have no power over me!_ he thought.

When Ginny finally turned he was satisfied to see the hopeful look fall from her face to be replaced with confusion and fear at the sight of his wand.

"What is going on?" she asked, her brows furrowed, never taking her eyes of off his cold stare, no matter how it hurt to look at him. Just as he could not show his weakness, neither would she.

"I hate you," he spat out bitterly at long last.

Ginny sighed, "Tell me something I don't know."

Draco's face contorted briefly into a mask of fury, to be quickly replaced with the same icy indifference it held before.

"You have ruined my life."

Ginny looked up at his form towering above her, and asked simply, "How?"

Draco's teeth clinched, and he tightened his grip on his wand. _How can she be so infuriatingly calm! She has ruined me, she is cowering at me feet as she should be, yet her voice is so collected._

"You," he growled, "don't get to talk anymore! Silencio!" Ginny's eyes flashed with confusion and hurt, but she remained still at his feet.

With her thus subjugated, he began to pace in front of her, stopping every few moments to point his wand angrily at her.

Finally, he began his rant. "Why did you have to do it? Your own life isn't messed up enough, is it? You had to go and interfere in mine! I had detention for _months_ because of you! And you, you _used_ me, just like Potter; you _used _me to help you. And I fell into the trap. I helped you on that bloody potion! We both knew it was ridiculous- make a potion to save your poor brother from the evil thrust upon him? Let's save the world one potion at a time!" he cried wildly, then calmed himself quickly.

"I was stupid, I see that. It was just another conquest- another way for me to waste my time so that I didn't have to think about the reality of my position. I _killed_ the headmaster. Maybe not with my wand, but with my actions. And I am not really sorry. One less muggle lover for the world to deal with! I should rejoice! But it inconvenienced me. Suddenly I had people all over me- loving me for doing it, despising me for not actually muttering the words, pitying me because of my associations, or just downright hating me for no reason other than myself. I could handle it, but it was a nuisance. Saint Potter wouldn't leave me alone, though it is funny because I see in his eyes that he can't decide what he thinks of me- I did lower my wand after all- maybe I am good?"

Draco advanced suddenly on Ginny. He grabbed a handful of her hair and got into her face. "Is that what you thought, little weasel? Were you trying to save me? Was the potion some grand metaphor for you conquest of salvation?" Ginny's glare never faltered, though he gestured wildly with his handful of way, tugging her head this way and that.

"Well, guess what Ginevra, dearest," he spat out spitefully. "You couldn't save me!" he jabbed her painfully in the shoulder. "You did nothing but make things worse. My father enlightened me over the holidays, you see. Do you know what he said? 'There is nothing worse than a pureblood mixing with a blood traitor,' he said. Of course, I knew this already. But what was he getting at? What indeed? Perhaps that a little tramp was manipulating me?" Draco kneed Ginny violently in the back, and she fell into the snow, but immediately pulled herself back up to glare defiantly at him.

"No you don't even care do you? What did my father know, you might ask me. He knew what his Lord told him, he knew what a nosy, arrogant, prick witnessed in a school hallway. 'How do we deal with traitors?' he asked me. 'We punish them.' And punished I was." Draco stopped pacing and stood stolidly before Ginny, who did not so much as flinch at the menacing expression on his face. After glaring at her, he resumed his pacing, "Though I must say that the punishment was not as bad as the after effects. Father decided that the best way to _handle_ me, was to force me to submit to his will, and his Lord's. So like a common cow, I was branded."

Ginny's sharp intake of breath was enough to stop him. He looked at her over his should and said, "You are surprised? You did this. You are the reason that I am forever marred with THIS!" Draco rushed at her, pulled his sleeve up, and thrust his blemished limb into her face. His pale skin was broken by the inky blackness of a skull and snake, the skin around it red, puckered, and raw.

And Ginny cried. Draco's fury was spent, and his subject wallowing in despair at his feet, so he turned from her and said with a sigh, "I blame you," before disappearing into the blackness around the shore of the lake.

* * *

When Ginny finally calmed down enough, she pulled her quivering body from the snow; she looked in the direction that Draco had disappeared. A solitary set of foot prints marched solemnly toward the line of trees along the shore marking the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Before she knew what she was doing, and without any regard to her personal well-being, she dutifully followed the footsteps.

Ginny found him at the waterside leaning against a withered willow tree with his eyes closed. Cautiously she approached him, and when he did not move, she sat cross-legged at his side and stared into the darkness.

After a few minutes she felt a prickle on the back of her neck and turned to see that Draco had one eye open staring at her, though his body had not moved since she arrived.

Ginny took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, but though she formed the words, they made no sound. Ginny widened her eyes in frustration and looked away. She heard a rustling from behind her, then a muttered "Finite Incantatem."

Without turning back, Ginny said, "Thank you," in a hoarse voice.

When she was not greeted by a reply she turned to look at him. He was still leaning back in a position of leisure, though his wand was ready in his hand, and both eyes were trained on her with icy indifference.

"Draco, I am so sorry."

"Don't address me so informally. You are inferior to me in every way possible."

Ginny groaned and wiped her hand across her forehead. Though the night was unbearably cold, she seemed to have developed a sweat. "You know I never wanted this to happen," she tried again after a moment.

"Of course you didn't. Now you have another foe to defeat on the battlefield."

"Draco, don't say that! The mark doesn't mean anything! It can't force you do anything!"

With startling volume and ferocity Draco shouted, "Don't call me that!" Ginny's eyes widened and she leaned slightly away from him. "Do you want to know what the mark means, Ginevra? What this is _forcing _me to do?" He pulled up his sleeve again to reveal the flawed skin. "This means that before I am called into his presence again, I will rape you, I will torture you, and then I will kill you."

Ginny shrank away in horror. "But you wouldn't," she said meekly. "I know you, you wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" he asked, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Draco, stop it!" Ginny cried suddenly. "Just stop! This isn't you! You are rude and arrogant, but you are not a murderer, and you wouldn't do… _that_ to me."

Draco glared at the redheaded girl sitting feet from him, trying desperately to look defiant and strong, but her quaking body and the sheen of sweat on her face betrayed her terror. And suddenly he did not want to terrorize her anymore. He knew that is was not her fault, but his twisted father's. The icy façade melted from his face and he hung his head.

"There, Ginevra," he said at last with resignation, "you are correct."

Ginny let out a sigh of relief and allowed herself to collapse backwards into the snow were she lay looking up at the barren branches above her.

"What am I going to do?" he asked when Ginny had all but forgotten his presence. She sat back up and regarded him intently. His face looked worn and pale. Dark circles under his eyes and the bluish tint of his lips gave him the appearance of a corpse.

"I am going to help you get out of the mess that I put you in," she said finally.

Draco rolled his eyes, "We both know that this is not really your fault, you have no obligation to stick around with the likes of a Death Eater."

"A mark does not make you a Death Eater, Draco. It just… makes your arm look kind of… scary," she finished lamely.

A small smirk blossomed on Draco's face, "Is that the sort of motivational speech that that bloody order teaches you to give? It's no wonder Snape was loyal to the Dark Lord."

Ginny was completely floored. He was smiling and making inappropriate jokes, and that was a step in the right direction. "Well," she said lightly with a smile, "I lied when I said that I didn't agree with the order. Truth is, they kicked me out because I am a terrible motivational speaker. If you want, I can give Harry a ring, I'm sure he'd be glad to fill in. They don't call him Wonder Boy for no reason."

Draco let out a stiff chuckle and said, "Maybe some other time."

Ginny tried to laugh, but managed to let out a severe string of coughs, then reached out to grab Draco's shoulder from faintness.

"We need to get you inside, Ginevra, you are burning up," he said with a poorly hidden trace of concern.

Ginny nodded and accepted his arm to help her stand, which she did not stop clutching as the pair began their arduous journey back to the castle, though Draco tried several times to retract it.

As they neared the entrance, and Ginny felt fainter than ever, she asked, "Draco? Do you still hate me?"

With a curious look on his face he replied, "I don't think I do," just before Ginny blacked out.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I strike again!

* * *

"Just let me in!" Draco shouted at a very put out looking Madam Pomfrey. 

"I am losing my patience, Mr. Malfoy. I don't allow students in here to terrorize the ill, and I know that this is hardly a social call. And frankly after all of the work I put into repairing Mr. Zabini, I would like nothing better than to turn you away."

Draco growled loudly, and said, "Look, Pomfrey, I have something I need to tell her, then I will leave. Just give me five minutes." Draco stepped forward, but was stopped forcibly by Madam Pomfrey.

"Out! Even if you were allowed in here, she is asleep!"

"Fine! If you won't let me in, then I will just stand here until you do." Draco crossed his arms petulantly.

Across the room Ginny groaned and rolled over. She tried to sit up and find the cause of the commotion, but didn't seem to have the strength, so she fell back onto her pillow.

"That is it, Mr. Malfoy! Out, out, _out!_" Madam Pomfrey pushed him to the door and slammed it behind him before rushing to her patient's side.

"I'm so sorry dear, ever since he brought you up here he keeps demanding to see you. I can't imagine why. Frankly it was probably his fault you were out in the snow in the first place…" Madam Pomfrey tutted over Ginny's fever and forced a couple of potions down her throat before Ginny fell back into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

When Ginny awoke next, the moon dimly lit the hospital room, and eerie shadows stretched across the walls. She blinked furiously for a moment, before adjusting to the lighting, and rubbed her palm across her slightly damp forehead. 

"It's about bloody time," said a voice from the shadows. "I thought you had gone and killed yourself and save me the trouble."

Ginny groaned and rolled to face the direction the voice had come from before replying hoarsely, "That is a highly inappropriate thing to say to someone on her deathbed. Besides, it is your fault I spent half of the night laying in the snow."

"What did I hold you down or something?"

"Actually-" Ginny began before he cut her off.

"Okay, yeah, whatever. Sorry about that."

"Considering I am the one who spent half of the day unconscious you are in a terrible mood," Ginny said as she rolled onto her back and grimaced as she pulled long, red threads of hair off of her cheeks.

"Well _I_ spent half of the day trying to get in here to make sure you were still alive and the bloody witch wouldn't let me through the door," Draco said bitterly as he finally stepped into a beam of moonlight.

Ginny laughed hoarsely and replied, "I heard that. You should try being nice once in a while, it works you know."

As Draco pulled a chair up to Ginny's bedside he grimaced. "What and be like Potter?" Draco cleared his throat and raised his voice a few octaves before continuing. "Um, excuse me, Madam Pomfrey. I heard that Ginny was up here? Is she okay? Would it, that is, um, be okay if I sat with her for a few minutes?" Draco made another face and grumbled, "She ate it up. Poor sap…"

"Wait," Ginny asked suddenly, "Harry came up here?"

Draco raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "_Harry_? Since when is he _Harry _again? Do you _love _him?"

Ginny groaned and swatted the air in front of Draco. "You moron. I am just curious. But _you_," she added playfully, "sounded awfully jealous."

Draco looked highly affronted. "What? Jealous of Potter? He has nothing I want." Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, and his continued. "Even if you were still with _Potter,"_ he spit out the name like it was poisonous, "I wouldn't be jealous. It's not like I… want you… like that."

Ginny let out a muffled laugh and rolled her eyes.

After a few moments of awkward silence Draco cleared his throat and began, "So we need to come up with a game plan."

"For you little problem?" Ginny confirmed.

"Little? It is hardly a little problem. I don't think you understand what I am supposed to do! They have this initiation thing whenever you get marked, and as punishment mine is that I have to-" but he was cut off by the sick look on Ginny's face and her hand in the air motioning him to stop. "Er, right. Anyway, not a _little _problem."

"Yeah, okay. Your big, terrible, horrible problem," she said sarcastically. "Let's figure it out, because I'd really rather it not come to that."

"I figure there are only a couple of options, really, and none of them are too thrilling. One: I disappear. Two: I pretend to do it and you disappear. Three: we both disappear. Four: well, that was pretty much the extent of my ideas, and they all involve running away, which is just not something that purebloods should, blood traitors or not."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You left off get rid of Voldemort so we can live in peace."

Draco cringed at the sound of his master's name. "I left that off because it's impossible. He's a bloody lunatic, and we all know that you can't kill a lunatic."

"That's a load of tosh and you know it. Harry almost did it eighteen years ago as an infant!"

"Oh, it's all about _Harry _again is it?"

"You are so immature! I meant that if Harry's scrawny little baby form can do it without trying, surely two talented purebloods can work something out."

Draco looked at her incredulously. "What like me and you? I thought you were talking about sending Potty back out to die. No way I am going to risk my neck like that."

Ginny sat up weakly and looked him in the eye. "You are a coward! You would rather run away? You don't even have anything to lose here! My life is the one on the line."

Draco scowled at Ginny before replying, "I am not a coward, I am sensible. You have all of these wild ideas, but you are nothing more than a little girl. You can't do everything!"

Ginny plopped back onto her cot and turned away from him. When she never replied he asked, "Are you mad at me for pointing out the truth? You are so naïve, someone has got to enlighten you."

Still the pair sat in silence.

Finally Draco stood and said, "Fine. You can do it! Is that what you want to hear? That I believe you can pull off some hair-brained scheme that you thought up when you were half-conscious and drugged up on potions? Fine. Let's do it. Let's run out an get ourselves murdered."

Ginny tried to reply, but her words got lost in the pillow, so she turned back over to him with narrowed eyes and said, "You are far too pessimistic, and you drive me crazy."

Draco cracked a broad grin. "I drive _all _the girl's crazy."

Ginny couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, but don't think too much of it. After all, I am half-conscious and drugged up on potions."

" Besides, you look dreadful. You're nothing to boast about."

"Again, I would like to point out that _you _are the reason I am here and look like I've just died!" she cried in offense.

"Whoa, down kitty!" Draco laughed. "I've seen worse. Besides you're kind of cute when you are a mess."

Ginny scrunched up her nose and replied, "Gross, do not try and compliment me ever again."

Draco shugged, "Fine, but you are going to miss out."

Ginny just rolled her eyes before saying, "So what did we decide about our predicament."

Draco got a sappy look on his face, "We're going to get rid of him, Ginevra. Just me and you!" He plopped onto her bed, put an arm around her, and motioned grandly in front of him. "We will save the world from tyranny!"

Ginny swatted him away with her hands, and he said, "Hey watch it! You're covered in germs!"

"I'm trying to be serious, Draco. You were right when you said we have a problem. We can't just brush this away and forget about it, or one of us is going to end up in serious trouble."

Draco frowned and spoke seriously. "The thing is, I don't really _want _to get rid of Voldemort. I think he's got the right idea, except when it comes to me."

"Yeah, we talked about this already- you are big, bad, and evil, but you are not a minion," Ginny replied sarcastically.

"Exactly, but now my options are get rid of him, get rid of you, or disappear."

"Well, it seems to me that the easiest solution is just to get rid of me, then you will have more time to figure a way out of the minion thing."

Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Well, obviously that is not a real option, because I couldn't do it."

"Why?"

Draco looked intently at Ginny without answering. _Why? _he thought. _You epitomize everything I hate, but somehow I don't hate you. You have the fire and spunk to actually stand up to me when everyone else cowers._ Draco frowned. _You keep me on my toes in potion-making, and I actually enjoy your presence. That isn't right! I don't actually…_ Draco looked up at Ginny in alarm before standing abruptly and leaving the hospital wing.

Behind him he faintly heard Ginny call his name, but he ignored her and slouched onto the cold stone floor in the corridor outside.

Draco closed his eyes and tried to figure out what had just happened to him. _I hate blood traitors. I hate Weasleys. I hate red hair and freckles. I hate the bloody Order of bloody what's-it-called. I like pureblood values. I like money. I like power. I like always being right. I like people with the fire to stand up to me. I like to argue. I… like her?_

Draco put his head in his hand and muttered, "Bloody hell."

In his mind, he kept shouting, _Why? Why? Why?_ In frustration he punched the stone floor, and growled loudly as his hand was immediately engulfed in pain. He clinched his teeth and jumped to his feet cradling his injured hand. After stomping up and down the hall trying to make sense of what was going on, Draco finally gave in.

_This is so not right_, he thought before re-entering the hospital wing hoping wildly that Ginny had already fallen back asleep.

"What were you doing?" Ginny asked from her position sitting up in bed.

"Thinking," he replied shortly. _Surely I don't._

"It must have hurt, because you were being bloody loud. I'm surprised Madam Pomfrey slept through it all."

_It did bloody hurt!_ Draco thought as he cradled his hand.

"Did you punch a wall?"

"No." _The floor. Don't talk to me. You make my head hurt._

"Let me see it."

"No." _I am not going anywhere near that bloody temptress._

"Oh, stop being such a baby, and I will fix it," Ginny said as she pulled out her wand.

"I'm not a baby," Draco said as he moved toward her. _Don't do it! She's doing it again. Blood traitor! Walk away! _He sat on the edge of her bed, and Ginny took his hand.

"Ouch!" he cried in indignation. _Walk away! She's a Weasley! Make her stop touching you! That's how this whole thing began. Touching and kissing and…_

"How did you manage this? I know you punched the wall."

"No, I didn't." _I punched the floor. And it is all your fault. Weasley!_

Ginny finished reciting spells on his hand, and the pain dulled into numbness. He looked down to see that he could wiggle his fingers. As he stared at his hand, Ginny took it in her own.

What is she doing? She's holding my hand! Blood traitor! Make her stop. She's looking at you. Don't you dare look up. Stare at the floor. Walk away. Don't-

Draco looked up and saw Ginny staring at him intently. Finally he shook his head and cleared his brain out enough to drop her hand. "You have germs."

Ginny raised her eyebrow, but did not drop her gaze. Draco cleared his throat and said, "Well, I am going to go so you can go back to sleep. Maybe you won't look so scary in the morning." And with that he got up and walked away.

_Idiot_.

* * *

AN: You know you want to review. 


	13. Chapter 13

Ginny was released from the hospital wing a week later without any more nighttime visits from Draco. After his actions the first night, she was not surprised; he seemed to be engaged in a serious internal battle, and she knew the cause of it was her question: "Why won't you kill me and spare yourself the trouble?" Of course, she had expected him to laugh and make some comment about how it is too hard to dispose of the bodies, but instead left the room confused, smashed things around in the hall, and came back in a _very _strange mood. She wondered if she had touched some part of him that was in denial about their relationship; she hoped she had.

Aside from Draco's absence, however, Ginny had frequent visits from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She knew they were doing it because they cared about her no matter how awful she was to them, but still. She got the impression that they were trying to prove how much better they were than Draco, because they always visited and he never did. His reason for staying away was better than their reason for coming.

Madam Pomfrey released Ginny just in time for dinner in the Great Hall, so she slowly made her way downstairs to get some real food into her system. As she carefully descended the final flight of stairs into the entrance hall, Dean hurried up behind her an offered her a hand.

"Thanks," Ginny murmured, taking his assistance, though she hated that she needed it.

"You okay, Gin?" he asked.

Ginny shook it off. "I'm fine. I've had a bad flu all week, but I'm better, just weak."

"Actually, I meant about other things. But I am glad that you are not sick anymore," he added quickly.

"What other things?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"There is this rumor… and I am sure you don't know anything about it, but maybe you do?"

"What are you getting at, Dean?" Ginny asked impatiently as they neared the large wooden doors of the Great Hall.

"It's about Malfoy. And you."

Without waiting to hear more, Ginny wrenched her arm from his, glared at him angrily, then walked into the hall as quickly as she could, leaving a bewildered Dean at the door.

Her arrival at dinner seemed to be a very happy event; all of the Gryffindors were making a much bigger deal about her sickness than seemed entirely necessary, and Ginny spent most of the meal brushing off sympathetic looks and hearty, victory claps on the back.

As often as she could, Ginny snuck glances at the Slytherin table, to find Draco sulking and looking sullenly into his dinner.

The trio stuck around dinner much later than usual, so by the time they got up to leave, the Gryffindor table was practically empty. Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm and silently motioned for her to stay, so the boys went alone with concerned expressions.

"Hermione, what is going on?" Ginny asked once they were relatively alone at the table.

Hermione looked a bit sheepish before replying, "I'm not really sure what you are talking about."

"Hermione," Ginny impatiently, "don't play these games with me! Just tell me what is going on. Everyone is acting so weird."

Hermione looked around, then lowered her voice and said, "They know about Malfoy."

"What about him!" Ginny shouted, then clapped her hand over her mouth as the few remaining people present shot her curious glances, except Malfoy whose eyes remained firmly on his mess of potatoes. "What about him?" she whispered bitterly at Hermione.

Hermione's eyes narrowed, and she looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Hermione?" Ginny prodded.

"About why you were in the snow. With Malfoy."

"What?" Ginny spluttered.

"Ginny, why didn't you just tell someone?"

Ginny was thoroughly confused. "Tell someone what? I have no idea what you are talking about." A voice in Ginny's mind nagged, _Unless they know about the mark._

"Ginny, we know he has been threatening you! And that night in the snow…" Hermione's eyes welled with tears and she threw herself onto Ginny in a tight hug. "I'm so glad he couldn't follow through!"

From her position crushed into Hermione's shoulder, Ginny watched Draco staring into his plate, still refusing to look up at her, though the stiffness of his shoulders betrayed his knowledge of her eyes on him.

When Ginny was finally able to pry herself away from Hermione, she asked calmly, "What do you think he was supposed to do?"

"Oh Ginny," Hermione moaned, "he was trying to kill you. You don't have to hide it anymore." She swiped the tears from her eyes.

Ginny laughed aloud to keep herself from screaming, and caught Hermione off guard. "Who said he was trying to kill me?"

"Zabini. He went to McGonagall. Told her the reason Malfoy beat him up was because he told him to stay away from you. But he wouldn't listen. And you were in the hospital wing all week! McGonagall has expelled him! Tonight is his last night."

"What?" Ginny shouted, this time without regard for the stares. The few students who had the nerve to look put out by the noise were greeted by glares of defiance before she looked back at Hermione.

"Ginny…" Hermione said as she put a hand out to calm her.

"No!" Ginny shouted. "What did he say in his defense?" she asked hurriedly.

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing. All he said was that it was for the better."

"This is abso-bloody-lutely ridiculous!" Ginny shouted, louder than ever. She turned to the staring students and shouted, "Ridiculous!"

Professor McGonagall stood from her position at the head table and called, "Miss Weasley, I have had enough of your shouting for one night!"

Ginny waved her off rudely before standing and marching over to the Slytherin table, where she grabbed Draco by the elbow and pulled him forcefully from the room. Behind her, she heard the commotion of points being revoked and professors hurrying to follow the 'assassin,' but Ginny was the younger sister of Fred and George, and knew how to disappear in the castle.

Ginny hurried a reluctant and grumbling Draco through a hidden passageway, and as soon as she was sure they were out of reach she pushed him against the wall and poked him in the chest. "What is the matter with you?" she asked in a low growl.

Draco refused to look her in the eye, but pushed her hand off his chest. "It is for the better."

"That is it, Draco Malfoy! I have had it with you and your little mind games! Tell me what is running through that messed up little brain of yours." When he didn't reply, she said, "Come on! Out with it!"

Draco grumbled.

"Draco Malfoy stop being such a coward!"

Draco finally looked up at her, his eyes flashing with anger. "I. Am. Not. A. Coward."

"Then what are you doing? You are running away!"

"I am not running away!" growled fiercely at her. "I made my choice. You get to live your life, regardless of how I have screwed up my own. You shouldn't have to suffer because of it! In his haste to condemn me, Zabini solved the problem that he started in the first place. With me outside of Hogwarts and you in, you are safe. I fail my mission," Draco finished resolutely.

Ginny sighed. "Please don't tell me that you are trying to be noble."

"I am not noble! I am despicable! This proves it!" Draco motioned to the mark on his left arm.

"Oh, please, Draco. It is a mark. It is not who you are! Don't throw away everything and take the easy way out! Besides you can't leave me here alone. You are my friend, and you have to stay."

"I don't have any friends," Draco said simply as he looked away from her.

"You do too, Draco. I am you friend, and you know it, and I know it, and you know that I know it. And that scares you."

"I am not a coward! I am not afraid of having friends!"

"Then why are you running away the first time that you have one? I saw the look in your eyes the night in the hospital wing that you figured it out. You were terrified-" Draco scowled at her, but she continued, "-and that is okay. Just face it, don't run away. I can go to McGonagall. I can tell her that Zabini is lying prick who should hang by his toenails in the dungeon. And I can tell her that underneath all of your nastiness, there is a little bit of a nice guy. Just a little one."

"You just make everything harder!" he cried out at her. "Why is nothing simple with you? Just let me leave and both of our problems will be solved."

"But yours will be solved by a wrathful Voldemort, and I am sorry, but I will not let you go without a fight."

"Why?"

Ginny watched Draco as he posed the same question to her as she had done to him. The only difference, was that Ginny was not as stubborn and undecided as he was, so she answered quickly.

Wordlessly, she closed the distance between them. She kissed him with more emotion than any previous time. Usually their lips met with frenzied passion, but this embrace was calmer and more deliberate. She traced little circles on his neck with her thumbs, and his hands tangled in her wild mass of hair. Draco poured all of his emotion and confusion into the kiss, and the pair pulled apart more breathless than ever.

"Was that supposed to convince me to stay?" Draco asked quietly, his forehead resting against hers.

"Yes. Did it work?"

"I think so."

The pair was silent for a few moments before Ginny laughed a little and said, "This is the most dysfunctional relationship I have ever had. I can't tell one minute to the next whether I want to strangle you or kiss you."

Draco shrugged. "Not to mention that we are doomed because we have completely separate sets of beliefs. Good versus evil and the like."

Ginny pulled away from him finally and said, "Well, I am off to have a little chat with McGonagall. Meet me later?"

"Yeah. The _laboratory_?"

Ginny laughed and replied, "Yeah. See you then," before disappearing into the dark passage.

* * *

An hour later, Ginny arrived in the bathroom to see Draco sitting in a toilet-turned-armchair staring absentmindedly at his nails.

"Well, it is done, and you are cleared of all charges."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, except being a arrogant prat, but that, I think, is a lost cause."

Draco shook his head and said, "Now that you have vetoed my plan, you have to make a decision. And don't say lets go kill the Dark Lord, because I will put my foot down on suicide."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "One step at a time. First, I say we deal with that mark on your arm."

"And just how do you propose we do that?" Draco asked leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"The potion," Ginny replied simply as she pulled a pile of notes out of one of the stalls and plopped herself into a sink.

"Ginevra, we talked about this already! The potion is doomed, and even if it wasn't I doubt it would get rid of this ruddy thing on my arm," he replied in exasperation while rubbing the spot where his mark was hidden.

"You need to have a little faith. Besides, what else were you planning on doing with your time?"

"You mean besides the lifetime of detention that I have been sentenced for beating the daylight out of Zabini and nearly killing you?"

"Of course. And everyone completely over-dramatized my sickness. Honestly, people do not die from the flu."

"They could," he replied petulantly, but grabbed a couple of books and relaxed into his chair to research. "Hey, whatever happened to that potion that you ruined before Christmas?"

"You mean the one that _you_ dropped?" Ginny teased.

Draco waved it away and said, "Yeah. We need to remake it and test it. I think that was a good one."

"Okay," Ginny said simply before going back to her notes.

Draco shook his head. "Well I am going to go prod around in Slughorn's private stores and pick up some ingredients so we can get to work tonight."

Ginny nodded without looking up from her notes.


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Sorry if this one seems a bit uninspired. It was a long day at work, and I had to deal with the impending doom of student loan debt, a broken (but now fixed) car, and my dog terrorizing the neighbor's cat. But it answers a lot of questions, and pretty much brings our story to a close. You will get at least one more chapter to get the pair through all of this drama, then an epilogue.

* * *

"Have you gone and used one of those beauty spells?"

Ginny stared oddly at Draco before replying, "No, why? You think I look pretty?" she asked batting her eyelashes suggestively at him.

"Do you have something caught in your eye?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "No. Why do you think I used a beauty charm?"

"You look… different."

Ginny raised her eyebrows and replied, "So that is why you've spent half the afternoon staring at me? I thought I had some lunch in my teeth or something."

Draco shrugged, "That too." After examining her teeth in the mirror and finding no trace of food, she glared at him.

"Drink up, then," she urged looking pointedly at the vial of potion sitting on the sink.

With relatively no bickering or whining, Draco managed to swallow the liquid. "Mmm," he said after a moment. "Tastes like strawberries."

"Really? I'm pretty sure there is nothing remotely resembling strawberries in that potion. Mostly weeds, and chemicals, and insect parts, and-"

"That's really quite enough."

"Do you feel anything yet?"

"…no. That's promising, right? Except for the fact that it is supposed to dispel dark magic, and I'm pretty sure the Dark Lord filled me up with it..." Draco trailed off.

"Well, you haven't spontaneously sprouted a third eye or horns, either, but the shield might actually do what it is supposed to at least."

"Have at it then," Draco urged.

"Are you really sure that you don't know a nicer spell I can use? Terror seems a bit much." Ginny asked, wincing.

"As a matter of fact, I know loads of dark magic that makes you feel like daisies!" Draco drawled sarcastically.

"Fine. Are you ready?" Ginny acquiesced. She trained her wand on Draco who was backed into a stall in the girl's restroom.

"Yes, yes, just get on with it already. And make sure you mean it."

"Formido!" Ginny shouted, and a thin streak of blue light shot from her wand and hit Draco square in the chest.

Immediately his eyes widened and he let out an inhuman screech. Wailing loudly he began clawing at his skin that was covered in beads of sweat. Ginny was caught off guard and fumbled her wand and it was almost twenty seconds before she let out a shaky, "Finite Incantatem."

Draco sank to the floor, his face and arms covered in scratches, some bleeding slightly. Across the room, Ginny could only stare at him. She had never seen someone filled with such terror. She made note of the fact that she never wanted one of those curses shot in her direction.

Once he caught his breath he looked up at her accusingly. "It took you long enough. Forgot about me did you?"

"You scared me half to death! I'm sorry if it took me a moment to recover."

"Oh, you were scared. You don't know fear."

Ginny groaned. "I'm really not in the mood for this now."

"Neither am I. I need to go have a shower and clean myself up."

"Fine."

As he left the room, Ginny heard him muttering under his breath, "I'm going to have nightmares for months."

* * *

Two days later the pair met with another finished potion. They hoped that this one worked better than the last.

The pair sat cross-legged on the bathroom floor staring at the harmless looking vial of potion.

"It's a bit ironic, don't you think?"

"What is?" Ginny asked, her eyes never leaving the potion as if it would strike if she looked away.

"That something as harmless looking as a bottle of blue liquid can scare you so much."

Ginny murmured in agreement.

Still the pair watched the potion, waiting for something to happen, which of course, never did. Draco frowned at it, and Ginny cocked her head to the side.

"What do you think this one will taste like?"

Draco looked thoughtfully at the potion before replying, "I hope not like strawberries, because I think the taste alone would trigger some psychological need to vomit after my last experience."

"I think it will taste like chocolate."

Draco finally tore his eyes from the vial and raised an eyebrow at Ginny, who sat with her chin in her hands and a quizzical look on her face. When she noticed his eyes on her she looked at him and shrugged.

"It could happen," she said.

Draco took a deep breath, then reached for the vial, uncorked it, and swallowed it in one swift motion. He grimaced and stuck his tongue out as if trying to rid himself of the taste.

He looked at Ginny out of the corner of his eye and said, "It tastes like Goyle's quidditch robes smell after a long practice."

Ginny choked out a laugh and asked, "So? Do you feel anything? Any less evil? Any new body parts? Any _less_ body parts?"

Draco shook his head. "I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse… Shall we check the shield half?"

"You want me to curse you again?" Ginny asked wide-eyed.

Reluctantly Draco replied, "Yeah, but just remember to take it off this time. Quickly."

"Okay," Ginny said as she stood and brushed off her robes. Draco backed up to the door to the hallway and steeled himself for the pain.

"I'm ready," he said at last.

Ginny gulped before shouting, "Formido!"

Again, the blue light shot from her wand, but unlike last time, it bounced harmlessly off of Draco and rebounded on its caster. Ginny's quidditch reflexes allowed her to throw up a quick protego shield. When the curse hit it, it bounced back like a rubber ball and started rebounding off every surface it could.

"Draco! Do something! I can't hold this shield forever!" Ginny shouted as Draco watched the bouncing curse in amazement. Finally he cleared his head and opened the hallway door; the spell immediately bounced into the hallway.

Draco and Ginny rushed to the doorway just in time for the thin streak of blue light to find the first target it could: the nosy, yellow-eyed form of Mrs. Norris. When the spell hit her, she jumped straight into the air, let out an ear-piercing yowl, and took off down the hallway at breakneck speed.

Draco turned wide-eyed to Ginny, who looked at him in shock, before covering her mouth to stop an outburst of laughter. Draco's face slowly transformed into a broad grin as the cat's screeches grew further and further away. Finally he let out a snort and Ginny grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the bathroom where they dissolved into frenzied laughter.

"That was the funniest thing I have ever seen," Draco said at last.

"Poor cat!" Ginny wailed through tears of mirth.

"I have no sympathy for that cat," Draco said shaking his head. "She got me into trouble with Filch more times than I can count."

"Do you think she'll be okay, though?" Ginny asked.

"Eh," Draco shrugged. "Filch will find her up a tree, and she'll be better in a week or so."

Ginny nodded, but then her face broke into a wide grin as she made a realization. "It worked!" she shouted. "The spell rebounded! It worked this time!"

Draco's face broke into a grin. "It did! Granted that was the easy half of the potion. Just figure out the dark magic repellant, and we are set."

"I already have an idea!" Ginny said grabbing a notebook. "Okay, I thought we could start here…"

* * *

Draco looked doubtfully at the liquid in front of him. "How can you be so sure that this is it?" he asked.

Ginny looked at him seriously before saying, "It has to be, doesn't it? We're running out of time."

Draco eyed Ginny; she seemed so sure, so full of determination. He thought it odd that she could be so confident, when all other times had failed. Instead of getting desperate, she was certain. He was nothing more than thoroughly sleep deprived. Not only had the two been working practically around the clock, but also when he tried to sleep he couldn't; thoughts of the Dark Lord and his initiation task kept him up. Not to mention the strange feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he had looked at Ginny since his realization in the hospital wing.

Finally he replied, "If you are so sure, let's get on with it." Draco grabbed the vial and shook it up a bit before uncorking it and sniffing it. "Doesn't smell too horrible," he remarked offhandedly to Ginny. As a stalling tactic he asked, "So what should it do if we got it right?"

"Expel all of the dark magic. I don't know what that should feel like, but that is what it should do. Your mark may hurt a bit," she added calmly.

"You aren't still deluded enough to think that this is actually going to do anything about my mark, right? I mean all we are doing is getting rid of dark magic… to help your brother."

Ginny frowned slightly and nodded absently.

"Okay, then," Draco said at last, "bottoms up," and he gulped the liquid down. When nothing happened he looked at Ginny and sighed. She still looked determined, though.

_She is bloody delusional_, Draco thought as he walked to the sink to splash some water on his face. All of a sudden pain coursed though his body, and his muscles spasmed, causing him to hit his forehead into the side of the sink. He cried out in pain and sunk to the floor, still facing away from Ginny. As soon as the pain subsided, he turned on Ginny, his eyes flashing with anger.

"What the bloody hell did you do that for?" he shouted at her.

Ginny's eyes were wide and her skin pale. "Draco, I didn't do anything."

"Of course you did! Why else did I just…" Draco's voice trailed off as he looked at Ginny with dawning realization. "Did it just work?"

Ginny's eyes widened further as she pulled out her wand and cast a detection charm. "It's clear," she said at last in disbelief.

Draco blinked. "What do you mean, clear? It can't be clear. This bloody potion wasn't supposed to work!"

"I'm pretty sure it just did," Ginny replied, still in shock.

Draco rolled his eyes and stepped up to her. "Shall I prove it?" he asked, and he pulled up his sleeve and thrust his left arm into Ginny's face. "There," he said with finality.

Ginny didn't speak; she just sank to the floor.

"Oh honestly. How can you be surprised! We both knew from the start that there is no way to get rid of it. It's just-" but Draco stopped mid-sentence as he finally caught a glimpse of his arm. His smooth, blemish-free arm.

"Oh Merlin," he breathed out before rushing into a stall and vomiting. A few moments later he walked over to the same sink he stood at minutes before and rinsed his mouth out. The boy in the mirror was pale as a ghost, which heightened the contrast of his silvery eyes. He blinked a few times before looking down at his arm again. Still, it was clean. The only sound in the room was the dripping of the faucet as he turned to find Ginny kneeling in the middle of the floor staring into thin air.

"You," Draco began, but stopped, his voice echoing loudly in the room. Ginny looked up at him, her eyes shining. All of a sudden, the silence was shattered as Ginny let out a squeal and flew to her feet. She grabbed Draco's hands and began jumping up and down in excitement.

Finally Draco seemed to realize the reality of what had just happened and he let out a cheer before jumping up and down with Ginny. After bouncing around merrily and whooping for joy Draco grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"You did it!" he announced. "You crazy little girl, you DID it!"

Ginny let out another squeal of glee and kissed him soundly on the lips before breaking away from him and dancing circles around the room singing, "We did it! We did it!"

Draco just watched her and laughed, running his hand over the place he thought would never be free of the Dark Lord's mark. She had done it, and he was free again!

"Oh man," he said at last when Ginny stopped dancing to catch her breath at his side. "He is going to be one _angry_ wizard."

Ginny grimaced, but quickly brushed aside the unpleasantness of his remark. "I think we should try the shield," she said at last and whipped her wand out and trained it on him.

"Ready to torture me again already?" he teased.

"You know me!" she shrugged.

Draco put his hands up as if the shield himself. "Don't let's be too hasty! Remember last time? Who is going to take the spell for us? We got lucky last time that it was only a cat."

"-Myrtle?" Ginny suggested with a smile.

"You are evil, Miss Weasley."

"Yeah, yeah, and you love it."

Draco looked at her uncomfortably. "I do not."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Okay, I forgot, you are a Malfoy, you don't have feelings."

"I am not a Malfoy!" he said quickly. "Not after what _he_ did to me."

"So what are you then? I thought your pedigree meant everything to you."

"I can still be pureblooded. I will just be Draco. Just Draco."

Ginny nodded. "So, is Draco allowed to have feelings or not?" she asked.

Draco eyed her appraisingly. "He could have feelings," he said at last. Ginny took a step forward, but he put his hands out to stop her. "But these things don't happen over night!" he scolded.

Ginny sighed and stepped back again. "Fine, but you _totally _owe me one."

Draco nodded and added, "Which means I won't be murdering you anytime soon, so we still have an angry wizard on our hands. Plus when he realizes what you did to this," he motioned to his arm, "there will be hell to pay."

Ginny waved her hand at him, "Peace of cake, but I don't want to think about it anymore tonight. I am hungry, and I am sleepy. Too much excitement for one day."

Draco pursed his lips and eyed Ginny before saying, "Thank you. For doing this."

Ginny grinned broadly. "I do believe we are making progress, Draco! Here you are thanking a blood traitor? What is next?" Ginny teased as she headed to the door. Before she stepped out though, she turned and added, "What are friends for?" She smiled at the expression on Draco's face before leaving to recover from her glee.

* * *

AN: I have a migraine now… So forgive any typos. Review? 


	15. Chapter 15

AN: Sorry she is a bit short, but I didn't want to add to much and overdo it. This is the end of teh story, but I will give you an epilogue to clue you in a bit.

SSSSSSSSSS

Draco and Ginny stayed up all night celebrating their victory over Voldemort by brewing up several batches of their potion and sending off vials of it to Ginny's family and other Order members, including Remus Lupin. Normally Draco would be opposed to being so helpful, but he had no room for any emotion but triumph. He had also decided that it was not his place to determine the use of Ginny's potion. To Draco's disgust, however, Ginny made a small parcel with several vials of the potion and its recipe for Harry, and hid it in his dormitory.

Draco's pleasant mood spread all through the next day, too. It was a cool Saturday, and Draco challenged Ginny to a game of seeking. The pair flew for hours, each pretending not to see the snitch, just so that they could stay in the air celebrating for longer. When Ginny's stomach announced dinner, however, Draco dropped the niceties and grabbed the snitch out of the air the moment he could. After they landed, he found himself congratulating Ginny on a game well played, and apologizing for her loss, rather than taunting her with his victory.

All through dinner in the Great Hall that evening Draco grinned like a fool. The Slytherins cleared a 6-foot radius around him as if afraid to come any closer. Across the hall, Ginny watched the exchange with amusement. At one point, a first-year had to venture into the empty territory around him to grab a basket of bread. As he had reached across the table, Draco looked up and flashed him a broad grin causing the boy to jump in alarm and scurry away, his bread forgotten.

The pair followed their usual dinner routine, which had escalated from hollow taunts to waiting until everyone was gone and making faces across the hall at each other. Ginny had won a spectacular victory two nights earlier by causing Draco to shoot pumpkin juice out of his nose at the sight of one of her faces.

Tonight the pair outlasted even Professor McGonagall, who usually stuck around long enough to supervise their unspoken game, and make sure no one ended up hurt. Ginny sat in silence, her lips pursed to avoid laughing as Draco rather convincingly enacted the scene in which Voldemort reacted to Draco's shocking absence of dark mark.

When he saw that he could not crack her, he fell back into his seat and sulkily pushed some vegetables around on his plate. The silent game, however, was suddenly and loudly interrupted. The large wooden doors flung open with urgency and a tall thin woman with long blonde hair rushed into the room. "Draco!" she shouted before spotting him and running to his side.

Ginny stood in surprise and watched Draco stand to greet his mother.

"Mother! What are you doing here? What is wrong?" he asked as he took in her disheveled experience. Her normally smooth and sleek hair was tousled and tangled. Her pale blue robes were streaked with dirt and a substance that looked suspiciously like blood. The silvery eyes that looked so much like Draco's were red and puffy, and streams of tears ran down her cheeks.

"Draco!" she cried again in panic as she pulled him to her in a hard embrace. "Draco, my son, what have you done?"

"What have I-" but his question was cut off by dawning realization. Immediately his eyes flew to Ginny in alarm. Narcissa followed his gaze and found a fearful Ginny still standing at her table.

"This is the girl?" she asked Draco. He did not reply, but she could see it in his eyes. He was afraid, and not for himself.

Finally he tore his eyes from Ginny and turned back to his mother. "What has happened, mother? What is he doing?"

"He's coming! He is coming for you and the girl! You have to get out of here. You have to disappear! Come with me!" she cried frantically tugging at his arm. Draco followed in shock, but as he reached the door he pulled back.

"Ginevra!" he cried in horror. "Mother, wait!" Draco ran back into the room to collect Ginny who still stood in shock at the sight of Draco's normally collected mother falling over herself in fear.

"Come on," he urged her pulling her to the door. His mother stood at the entrance to the Great Hall casting her eyes about wildly in suspicion.

"Draco! Leave her! It's you I have come for! Hurry! He'll be here any moment. Oh my son!" she wailed as Draco arrived back at her side, Ginny in tow.

With her son back at her side, Narcissa paused only for a moment to take in the form of Ginny who her son was clutching tightly onto. Under her breath she murmured, "She is pretty," before resuming her frantic escape from the castle with her son.

Narcissa quickly ushered the two students out the front doors of the castle and onto the lawn. The large stretch of grass loomed ominously before them. It would be a long run without cover. Anyone could easily attack them as they crossed it. Before she led the children into the open she turned to them.

Ginny still had not spoken, but she could see determination awakening within her. Draco looked as fearful as before, but she knew that he was working things out. Narcissa reached out and took her son's face in her hands.

"You were always a good boy," she began. "We were too hard on you, but know that I love you, my son. He knows what you have done, and though I cannot comprehend how you have done it, you must run. He will not stop hunting you until you are dead. And all of this for a girl!" She saw a defiant look cross Ginny's features.

"She's not just a girl, mother!" Draco protested, and Ginny looked at him in shock, and Draco fumbled his train of thought as if he had not realized what he was about to say. He frowned briefly before hardening his resolve, turning to his mother and saying, "I think I am in love with a Weasley."

Draco did not look at Ginny, but stared at his mother, whose surprise manifested itself clearly across her face. She knew that he was waiting for her to scold him, so she smiled lightly and said, "I am happy for you." Then she turned to a shell-shocked Ginny, kissed her on the cheek and whispered, "You are a very lucky little girl," before sighing and continuing, "Let us go. Run for the gates and apparate the moment you cross them. Do not hesitate or he will be upon you!"

With that the three took off as fast as they could. The setting sun stretched their shadows across the lawn. Draco could not help but remember the last time he had run across this lawn; he had been a murderer then. This time he was to be murdered. The irony of his position was not lost on him as he kept Ginny at his side through their breakneck journey across the lawn.

Just as the gate was looming ahead of them Draco heard a shriek that pierced him and stopped him in his tracks. Ginny had fallen to the ground; her eyes wide with terror and her mouth wide letting out a mournful scream of agony. He ran to her side just as the hex was lifted. Ginny's eyes fluttered closed and she struggled to catch her breath.

Narcissa didn't stop running when she heard the girl go down, but when she reached the gate she saw that her son had stayed too, and at the top of the hill, framed by the massive silhouette of Hogwarts castle, stood Lord Voldemort, his long black robes fluttering the wind, his wand trained at the young pair on the ground between himself and Narcissa.

"Draco!" she cried frantically through her tears. "Draco, keep running!"

When he made no motion to move, Narcissa raised her wand and let out a cry as she charged toward Lord Voldemort.

Ginny sat up weakly and saw the form of Mrs. Malfoy charging at her foe. "Draco," Ginny cried, "Draco, we have to go! Your mother!" Voldemort's laughter rang out in the crisp twilight.

"I always knew you were too weak, Narcissa," Voldemort called. "You cannot save him. The boy is mine." Narcissa threw a spell at Voldemort, which he easily deflected and returned. The spell hit her hard in the chest, but still she barreled toward him.

Draco and Ginny jumped to their feet, but when he made a move to join his mother, Ginny pulled Draco back. "We have to go! She's doing it for you!" Ginny pulled Draco insistently and the pair ran again toward the gate, listening to Voldemort's taunts and Narcissa's cries of pain. Tears streamed down Draco's face as he ran further from the mother who was trying desperately to save him.

At the gate, Draco craned his head around see his mother; she was turned toward him, her face torn between triumph and agony. She smiled at him before she was engulfed in green light and fell to the ground.

Draco turned toward his fallen mother with a cry of anguish, reaching toward her, but Ginny grabbed him, her eyes swollen and wet. As she held him at the gate, the taunting voice of Lord Voldemort floated over the air to them.

"The girl is next," he called eerily.

Draco watched in horror as a streak of green light shot across the lawn toward the girl who was holding desperately to him, her eyes widened in horror. In an instant, Draco pulled her the rest of the way out of the gate, wrapped his arms around her, and diapparated the both of them with a popping sound. The green streak of light flew harmlessly through the air where the teary-eyed pair stood less than a second before.

The quiet was broken by a growl of fury as Lord Voldemort walked purposely toward the gate, stepping on the broken form of Narcissa Malfoy on his way.

SSSSSSSSS

AN: Please review and give me a reason not to hate ff(dot)net anymore. I'm sick of the bugs, but your reviews will help.


	16. Epilogue

AN: So here it is, after a week of trying not be too tired when I get home (because I have been putting in serious overtime at work- I am trying to open an exhibit of Chinese landscape facsimile scrolls, and planning a huge luncheon and lecture… and there is not enough time in the day. Plus this isn't really my style, but I figured it would keep people from asking for a sequel. Because it is a crazy long, may-as-well-be-a-oneshot-sequel of an epilogue. I hope it is not too much of a mess. I think I alarmed about half of my readers- I got lots of reviews saying, "What? The end? That's not right!" I hope this explains it all. Happy reading.

* * *

"Draco, Giovanni wants that dragon book again," Ginny said from behind the blonde who was crouched over a pile of faded parchment on his worktable.

"Again? What is he doing with it? Honestly, that is like the tenth time this month."

Ginny shrugged, and Draco stretched and sighed before descending the ladder into the underground rare book room. Moments later, he returned, his eyes watery and trying to hold back a sneeze. Most of the books downstairs rarely saw the light of day, but this particular book, _Draconis Victus_, _The Living Dragon_, a 13c manuscript by an Italian monk, seemed very popular. Draco made a note to inspect it that evening after Giovanni left for signs of overuse.

Draco handed Ginny the book, and she exited the small workroom through a small arched doorway. The narrow stone passage looked distinctly careworn, and the chill from the stone belied the waning of spring in Rome.

She emerged from the passage into a large, dimly lit room. The stones were darkened with age, and the rich wood of the ceiling offset the dusty glow from a row of large gothic stained glass windows that stretched to the floor. The room's only occupant sat at the far end under a large stained-glass image of a wizard duel on dragon-back; the elderly wizard sat at a large wooden table, his leather-bound notebook and quill poised and ready.

"Eccolo," Ginny said with a small smile as she gingerly placed the book in from of the man, who beamed at her.

"Your Italian is getting very good," said Giovanni through a thick Italian accent.

Ginny tipped her head at the elderly man before saying, "Grazie," and retreating to the workroom where Draco labored over a new acquisition of the archive.

"Draco," she pleaded, "I am starving! Come with me to lunch." Draco frowned once more at his pile of parchment before pushing back his stool to join a beaming Ginny.

As they retreated through the stained-glass reading room, Ginny paused to tell the girl reading behind the counter to keep an eye on Giovanni, and that they would return after lunch.

Draco grabbed Ginny's hand as they stepped into the bright, bustling streets of Rome, and Ginny sighed happily tilting her head back to bask in the warm glow of the sun.

As the pair walked silently along their usual route, Ginny took in the sights. After almost two years she still had not gotten over the grandeur of Rome: the ancient monuments, the breathtaking Renaissance paintings that even Draco had admitted liking, and the awe-inspiring size and beauty of its countless church facades.

* * *

The pair had arrived in Rome in a flurry of panic and grief. Draco knew of a place that his mother had often secretly retreated to in the heart of Rome where they would not be found. When they arrived in the small palazzo, Draco fell into despair. He refused to leave his room, and Ginny was too frightened to venture outside. For a week neither spoke, and Ginny spent hours at a time gazing out the front window into the unknown world outside.

When Draco finally emerged, he found a haggard looking Ginny gazing forlornly out the window. He knelt at her side, took her hand in his, and kissed her briefly on the cheek before saying, "I'm sorry I left you alone so long."

Unused to this tenderness but too weak to reply, Ginny simply smiled and nodded. Draco pulled her to her feet and out of the palazzo. The first place he took her was too a café where he sat at her side and helped her order from the Italian menu. Once Ginny was feeling a bit more like herself, she had turned to Draco, her eyes full of sympathy and wet with unshed tears, but he shook his head at her and whisked her away to see the sights of the city.

The next few days went by in a whirlwind of excitement. The pair spent every minute of daylight combing the streets of Rome: learning every alley and every ristorante. The first time Ginny saw St. Peter's Square, she sank down at the base of the obelisk and stared in wonder. Draco had smiled at her, and kissed her on the cheek again. Her hand flew to her cheek in surprise, and she turned questioning eyes on him, but he merely smiled and pointed out some trivia about the square and cathedral.

The days stretched on at a lazy pace, and in time the pair reverted to the playful banter they had enjoyed earlier in the school year. The fast-paced desperation that had ruled their final days at Hogwarts were not forgotten, but pushed aside in favor of happier emotions.

Ginny was the one who had seen the old wizard first. In a narrow alley near their palazzo, Ginny spied a man disappear into a wall, and she immediately drug Draco downstairs with her. After almost an hour of trying to figure out how to do it, Ginny and Draco re-entered the wizarding world. Only it was much different. They stood in an Italian counterpart to Diagon Alley; the streets were lined with wizarding shops and people bustled up and down the street in brightly colored robes. Draco sighed in relief; he would not have to live as a muggle. Yet the pair was careful, because they had to determine what Italy knew of the war in England, and if Voldemort was a threat to them there. It turned out the Italians concerned themselves very little with the goings on of foreign countries, especially England which wasn't even on the continent.

Draco was the practical one who found them jobs. He spoke a fair amount of Italian due to his frequent childhood travels, and spotted two positions at a local wizarding library. The irony was not lost on him as he was told that the library needed a pair of wizards to work in cataloguing. Months later, they were such a successful team that Ginny and Draco were promoted to the special archives, as the curator had decided to retire. So every day Draco and Ginny walked to their archives and sat amongst the dusty volumes that served as a daily reminder of their fateful library duel.

Draco's final confession to his mother was never brought up, but the mutual affection was not difficult to see. Ginny thought that Draco's loss must have put things into perspective for him, because he stopped trying to push her away every time they had a moment. He did not, however, stop prattling on about blood superiority; when he said something offensive, Ginny usually swatted his on the back of the head, but let him say what he wanted. While it was unpleasant, Ginny recognized it as a harmless, unchangeable effect of his childhood.

One blustery winter evening Ginny was sitting in the reading room pouring over an old volume and freezing. She kept shouting out random complaints about the cold while Draco worked diligently away in the back room. He was surprisingly involved in his work; it was an escape from the real world for him, just as Rome was his escape from the war and a murderous lunatic.

"And I think I have lost all of my toes! They've fallen off and are scattered on the floor. Bring the broom when you come out, I don't want to frighten the readers in the morning. Have to clean it up!" Draco cracked a smile and looked again at his watch. He sighed and closed the book before clicking the light off and gathering his cloak.

When he entered the reading room, Draco found Ginny huddled under a cloak in a chair, her chin resting on her knees, which were pulled up to her chest. She was so involved in her reading that she did not look up when he approached her. Draco shook his head and chuckled. "It really is time to go now," he said as he rested his arm on Ginny's shoulder.

"No," she said distractedly, "just five more minutes. This is really interesting!"

"Ah, but you have already lost your precious toes! I think I stepped on one on my way over here. Pity… Anyway, I can't have you losing your fingers as well; you need those for working, and for the pretty present I have for you."

Ginny's head immediately snapped up to look at the blonde over her shoulder. "A present? For me?" Ginny threw off the cloak and jumped up to his side. "Well, what is it? Let's have a look!"

Draco tutted at her and said, "No, it is far too cold in here, and I want my warm fire. I've let you read half the night away, and I want to go home."

"Oh please," Ginny begged.

"No," Draco replied stubbornly.

A mischievous look flitted across Ginny's face before she pouted and nuzzled into his chest. "Okay… It sure is cold in here. Mmm, but you are nice and warm." Draco looked down at the girl suspiciously, and she snatched a kiss while he was off guard.

"No!" he said. "No present tonight! Honestly you are such a child."

Ginny wrinkled her nose at him and said, "Fine let's go home. Someone is awfully grumpy."

"I wasn't grumpy until you started whining!"

"Well I wasn't whining until you teased me!"

"I didn't tease you until you… what are we arguing about?" he asked at last as he helped Ginny drape her cloak over her shoulders.

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know, but I think I am winning."

"You most certainly are not! I do not lose anything, especially arguments, and even more especially arguments with Weasleys!"

"Yeah, yeah. Keep telling yourself that," Ginny replied rolling her eyes as she stepped into the winter wind. Draco swiftly stepped up to her side and wrapped his arm around her. He could be very attentive when he wanted to, but especially when the pair walked the streets at night.

When they arrived in their palazzo, Ginny made a beeline for the bedroom and quickly crawled into be under the massive pile of luxurious blankets. Though Draco only had a small portion of the Malfoy wealth that had been diverted into a private account, he still insisted that they did not live like beggars- or even like Weasleys. Once Ginny was thoroughly buried, only her eyes and nose peering out into the chilly air, she waited.

Finally, Draco sauntered into the bedroom and climbed into bed beside her. "Your feet are freezing!" she exclaimed pulling her own warm and still-attached toes away. Once she had settled into her pillow, she said, "I love you." Silently he leaned over and kissed her before sinking into his own pillow facing the opposite direction.

It was routine. She always said it, and he never did. But she knew what the kiss meant. It meant, "I love you, too, but I am too proud to admit it, and too scared to say it." The pair had remained somewhat platonic and slept in separate rooms even after Draco's confession to his mother until Ginny heard him having a nightmare one night. She did not say anything when she entered, but crawled into bed with him and held him until he calmed. After that, she never left him to sleep alone. They never talked about it, just as they never mentioned his pronouncement of loving a Weasley.

Over a month later, Ginny had received her gift. She was lying on her stomach reading a book, her legs kicking in the air, when Draco entered to palazzo and shook the snow off of his cloak. Without looking up, she shot a greeting over her shoulder.

"What is so bloody enchanting about that book that you can't even bother to look at me when you are talking to me?" he asked irritably.

"Mmm, it is about a princess and a knight, and he rescues her, and… well it sounds much better on paper," she finished, still without looking up. She listened as his footsteps crossed to her, and she smiled as his feet stopped inched from her book; she knew the irritated and exasperated look that was gracing his features, even without looking up.

Moments later, her book was buried under a pile of fragrant flowers, and Ginny finally looked up at the man towering above her in amazement. She squealed and jumped to her feet before gathering Draco into a crushing hug and a passionate kiss. When she pulled back to look at him, Ginny was surprised at the look that had crossed his face. His silvery eyes were a deep stormy grey, and a tentative smile spread across his face.

Draco looked her levelly in the eye before saying, "I love you, too." The joy on Ginny's face lit up the room as she immediately closed the distance between them again and kissed him with a joy and passion that had been unknown to the young couple. She always knew he loved her, but she knew how hard it was for him to say, so it was all the more important.

Suddenly, he pulled back from the kiss and fumbled around in his pocket. When he pulled out a small velvet box, and opened it to reveal a diamond ring, Ginny closed her eyes and sunk to the floor. He sat down beside her and took her hand in his. He cleared his throat and slid the ring onto her finger wordlessly. When she did not look up at him, he said, "So, I guess you don't need to find a husband anymore."

Ginny cracked up. She started laughing so hard that tears streamed from her eyes as she clutched onto an alarmed looking Draco. Finally she fell back panting to the floor, beaming and breathless. When she noticed Draco's bemused expression, she asked, "How do you know I was going to say yes?"

This time Draco beamed and pulled himself closer to her on the floor, brushing her book out of the way. "Because I am charming and wonderful, and you think I am irresistible."

"Yes, well, that is why I love you."

Draco paused a moment then said, "and I love you."

They were wed in a small ceremony attended only by a few fellow wizards from the library and conducted entirely in Italian. They were blissfully happy and spent weeks away from work just roaming the city that they had come to love. No word passed their lips of their other lives; neither voiced their concern over a vengeful Dark Lord or an anxious family of redheads, though their idyllic lives were punctuated with moments of dawning realization, which were pushed aside with a frown. They lived a fantasy out of one of Ginny's novels.

They both knew that it could not last, nor would they want it to. Ginny missed her family more as time went by, and Draco grew weary of his fearful existence.

Though still quite young, the couple lived as if they were completely unattached from the world and anyone but themselves. Neither finished school due to their flight to safety, and they married far younger than was entirely common. Nor was it common for so young a married couple to celebrate Ginny's news of pregnancy as they did. Draco beamed for days, shaking everyone's hand that walked by, and shouting it aloud in several of their favorite restaurants. Ginny blushed and tried to calm him, but she was secretly overjoyed at his reaction. He couldn't be happier.

Until the day he walked his very pregnant wife to a café for lunch.

* * *

As the couple sat at a table on the patio of a street-side café in the wizarding alley, a headline on a customer's newspaper caught his eye. Not only was the man holding paper with English headlines, but also in large black letters it read, "War in England Over! Evil Wizard Defeated!"

"What?" Draco asked loudly as he crossed to the wizard and snatched his newspaper away. To the indignant man's expression he mumbled a quick, "scusi" and rushed to his table where Ginny watched bewildered.

"Draco? What is-" but she stopped as he thrust the paper onto the table. Ginny's hand flew to her mouth and she looked up at Draco in astonishment. "What does it-? Who-?"

Draco pulled his chair closer to Ginny's side and read aloud:

After years of fighting a losing battle with Lord Voldemort, the English wizarding community has won a surprising victory! For months now the attacks have become more frequent and brutal, leading all to believe that the end was near at hand. Indeed it was, for last night the Ministry of Magic was swarmed by over three hundred of his followers. The battle that ensued was long and bloody, but the light side had a strange advantage. Unforgivable curses bounced off them to rebound onto their casters! No one has been available for questioning on this matter, but it was surely what won the battle. The Chosen One, Harry Potter, entered into a one-on-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and just as it did nineteen-years ago, Lord Voldemort's killing curse rebounded; this time finishing off the dark wizard. There has been speculation for some time about the possibility of horcruxes as a barrier to victory, but either young Mr. Potter has destroyed them all, or there is no merit to this story. The final death count was far higher on the dark side, though many brave witches and wizards lost theirs too. Along with Lord Voldemort's death, we have received news that every member of his inner circle was found dead, including Severus Snape, the murderer of Albus Dumbledore, and Lucius Malfoy, the fugitive wizard responsible for the string of mass muggle killings two-years ago.

Draco sat back and blinked at the paper. Ginny shakily let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding and took his hand in hers. When he looked up at her, his face was grim, and a teary eyed Ginny nodded. It was time to go home.

The rest of the afternoon passed with very few words between the pair, each was drawn into his or her own worries and doubts about going back. Draco had no one to go back to, except those that no doubt wanted to capture and kill him for 'kidnapping' Ginny. Ginny Malfoy. Ginny, on the other hand, had many people to go back to, many people who she feared would hate her for leaving as she did, or hate her for her husband and soon-to-be child. She also feared to know who had not made it through the war, as she was sure to have lost someone. At any rate, neither suspected their return after a two-year absence to be easy.

After making arrangements with library, the pair loaded their things into a private car of a wizarding train, and commenced their journey. Ginny's child was due at any time, and neither wanted to risk apparation or the floo network in her condition. Though neither said it, they were also terrified of what would happen if they just appeared at the Burrow.

As their cross-continental journey drew to a close, Ginny grew more and more agitated. What would everyone say? In London, the pair rented a car, and made for Ottery St. Catchpole and the Burrow. Draco kept his sneering comments about why anyone would willingly call their home a burrow at a minimum, since Ginny was too stressed and in too delicate a condition to make arguing worthwhile.

The pair arrived at nightfall at the illuminated windows of the Burrow. Ginny had hoped to have a moment to collect herself and the tears that began falling as soon as she saw the house, but as she suspected, the coming headlights had alerted everyone to their presence. Ginny sighed and squeezed Draco's hand. "I think you should stay here for a minute," she said, "I'll try to get them used to the idea so they don't try to kill you." Draco nodded mutely and watched his young wife squeeze her way out the door and across the lawn to face the people whose curious faces were silhouetted in the kitchen windows.

As she neared, she heard several loud shouts, and the door slammed open with a crash. "Ginny!" a tall redheaded boy shouted as he barreled toward her. "Ginny! Can it really-? Is it really-?"

Ginny's face broke into a broad grin and her eyes shone with tears as she called, "Ron! I've missed you so much!" As he reached her, Ginny saw his eyes flicker momentarily to her stomach, then he gathered her in as tight a hug as he could manage with her huge belly. Ron's cries of joy were met by the unbelieving faces of Bill and Charlie, who immediately rushed to her side.

"I can't believe it! You are my Gin, and you are here! You came back to us!" Bill said through tears. When the three stepped back to get a better look at her, they noticed Ginny's eyes flickering to the door, waiting for the others.

"Gin," said Ron quietly, "we have lots of things to tell you. Fred and George are- and Mum is-" Ron's face scrunched up as if trying to hold back tears.

"No!" Ginny moaned as she sunk to the dirt path below her.

"Whoa," said Charlie, "let's be careful here, Ron. Ginny, Mum is okay; she is with Dad in the hospital. They messed him up pretty good at the last battle a couple of nights ago."

"They are okay? Fred and George? They are all-"

Bill held up a hand to stop her. "We lost Fred and George last year, Ginny. There was a battle at Diagon Alley, and you know them; they always had to be right in the thick of it. But they went together, just as they always did everything else together."

Ginny was hunched over on the ground sobbing when she heard Draco call her from the car. "Ginny? Are you okay?" Of course he was worried, and she made him sit in the car and watch this entire scene without knowing what was going on.

The three boys looked up at the sound of the voice and back down to Ginny before making a move toward the car. "No, wait!" she called. Only Bill stopped to help her off of the ground.

Ginny watched in horror as Draco opened the car door to meet Ron and Charlie who had grim looks on their faces. "Malfoy!" Ron shouted as Charlie leveled his wand. "What did you do to my baby sister?"

"Ron, no!" Ginny cried rushing to Draco's side. She stepped in front of him and took Draco's hands in hers. "Ron, please, I want to talk to you."

"You want to talk to me?" he asked angrily. "What is he doing here, Ginny? After all this time you are still with him? Your kidnapper?"

"Honestly, Weasley, I didn't kidnap anyone. And would you kindly stop pointing your wand at my wife," Draco added to Charlie.

"Your wife?" Charlie spluttered as Ron's face turned a brilliant shade of red.

"Yes," Ginny said calmly. "Draco and I have been married for over a year, and I love him, so you need to cool it with the accusations."

Ron gave Ginny a hurt look, and retreated into the house. Charlie gave Ginny a weak smile before following Ron. Bill on the other hand, walked right up to the pair and shook Draco's hand. "You are a lucky man," he said.

"I know," Draco replied simply, though he was stunned at the friendly gesture. From a Weasley.

"Let's get you inside. You look about ready to burst; Fleur looked just like you do before Jacqueline was born."

Ginny turned to Bill with a smile. "You have a baby?" she asked and Bill nodded, beaming with pride.

As the group entered the Burrow, Draco's disdainful looks at its interior earned him a swat across the back of the head, and he smirked at Ginny. Ron and Charlie were sitting at the kitchen table looking grim, when Ginny, Draco and Bill joined them.

After and awkward silence, Charlie cleared his throat and said, "The girls should be home soon."

"Girls?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Hermione and Fleur took Jacqueline out shopping this afternoon to take their minds off of everything."

Just then, Ginny heard a commotion in the living room as several people stepped out of the fireplace.

The first to enter the room was a small blonde girl who rushed to Bill, who pulled her up to his lap and kissed her on the head. Next came Fleur who seemed distracted looking for her daughter, but once she got to Bill's side, she notice the two arrivals and watched them suspiciously. The last to enter was a familiar bushy-headed girl.

Before she took in the company, Hermione began, "Ron, I got you some-" but was distracted immediately. "Ginny!" Hermione shouted in joy. "Oh, Ginny it is you! You are all right! Oh, Ginny, I've missed you so much! You are having a baby! How have you been? Where have you been?"

Ginny smiled and held up her hands, "Whoa there, Hermione. All in good time." It was then that Hermione finally noticed Draco, and she sunk into the chair beside Ginny. "I expected as much," she said. She turned to Ron, "Didn't I tell you? I told you that they ran away together!"

Ron crinkled his nose and Ginny laughed.

Hermione turned back to Ginny and asked, "Are you happy?"

Ginny beamed and nodded an enthusiastic yes, so Hermione got up and placed her hand out to shake Draco's. He looked at it doubtfully before Ginny nudged him and muttered "Grow up, Draco," so he shook it begrudgingly.

"Good." Hermione nodded and resumed her seat.

"I don't know if I call it exactly good," Ron mumbled from across the table. Charlie seemed to share this sentiment.

Hermione's eyes narrowed and she shook a finger at him. "Honestly Ronald, would you rather she not be here? The choice is to have her here with us and Malfoy, who I can only assume is the father of her child, or you can wish that she had never come home at all, and you could spend the rest of your life wondering what ever happened to her. You are lucky, Ronald Weasley."

Fleur's eyes widened at the argument, and Ginny couldn't help but laugh. After all of this time, those two still fought like cats and dogs. But apparently it worked because Ron, and even Charlie, looked thoroughly chastised.

Ron pulled a face then said, "Yes, dear."

"Dear?" Ginny asked.

It was Hermione's turn to look proud. "Ron and I got married a few months ago."

"About time, Weasley," Draco said at last. "I thought you would never get up the courage to do it."

"What?" Ron asked in bewilderment.

"Everyone knew," said Ginny. "Even the Slytherins."

"Right, well…" he began. "So shouldn't we go see Mum and Dad?"

"Yes, I want to see them," Ginny said standing.

"Let's go, then," said Bill standing.

"Right," Ginny replied and looked to Draco. "I really don't think I can handle another long drive back to London. I'm sure it would be okay if I just-" she stopped when she saw the look on his face.

"Oh, honestly," said Bill, "Fleur traveled by Floo all the time when she was pregnant. You know there are more automobile accidents than floo accidents."

"See," Ginny said with a smile, "it will be fine, and I really want to see my mum."

"Fine," Draco mumbled, "but don't blame me when something happens."

Ginny rolled her eyes and the stepped into the cluttered Burrow living room. She was the first to floo away, and was met at the other end by a concerned looking St. Mungo's nurse as she tried to regain her footing.

Ginny smiled and waved the nurse off, though she hobbled to the wall and held it for support. Draco arrived moments later, and rushed to her side muttering bitterly about ignorant Weasleys who were endangering his wife for no good reason. When she heard him spit out something about revenge, Ginny laughed a little, and straightened up.

"I'm fine, see!" she said with an effort, because she was still feeling a little off after her dizzy floo journey for the first time in months. Draco eyed her appraisingly, but they were shortly joined by the rest of the noisy Weasley clan and bustled down the narrow halls.

At the end of the hall, a harried looking Mrs. Weasley rushed out of a room and said, "Hush! He's finally gotten to sleep, and I don't want you waking him with all of this noi-" Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her chest before she rushed at her daughter, her eyes streaming with tears.

Wordlessly she held her daughter and the redheaded pair sobbed for several minutes. When Ginny finally pulled back, she said, "I missed you, Mum." This started another onslaught of tears while Mrs. Weasley made strange noises and motioned several times to Ginny's large belly.

Finally, she pulled away from Ginny to look at Draco full in the face. "You are the Malfoy boy?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied politely. "I am Draco."

"And have you married her?"

Ginny laughed and shook her head at her mother's antics. "Yes, ma'am." At this Mrs. Weasley turned bright red and started motioning wilding as unintelligible streams of words came out of her mouth.

Draco looked between Ginny and Mrs. Weasley in bewilderment before he finally heard a sentence of Mrs. Weasley's rant. "And now I haven't even gone to my only daughter's wedding!"

Draco frowned at the thought that his mother-in-law was more concerned with missing the wedding than the fact that her daughter now had the last name of the family rival.

Draco looked up to catch Ginny's eye but was surprised to see her holding her stomach, a pained expression on her face. "Ginevra!" he called as he rushed to her side, and everyone gathered around in concern. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Is there something wrong? I told you not to go in the floo! I blame you!" he said pointing wildly at the Weasley boys who all looked thoroughly taken aback.

Mrs. Weasley patted him on the shoulder and said, "Calm down, son, she is only going into labor." Slightly taken aback that he had been addressed as 'son' in a way that was not threatening, and partially taken back by the sudden realization that he was soon to be a father, Draco gripped Ginny's hand and leaned back to the wall.

"Uh, Draco?" Ginny asked. "You either need to let go, or walk with me because I really need to sit down.

Minutes later, she was dressed in a hospital gown and propped up slightly in a bed surrounded by concerned faces and a stressed out Draco. Several hours later, the same room hosted a room full of beaming witches and wizards, and a very tiny addition wrapped in a pink blanket and nestled up to her father's chest fast asleep.

* * *

Again Ginny and Draco's life was thrown into fast-forward. On top of the stresses of re-entering the world they had left behind, they had a small child to care for and many prejudices to handle. Draco spent long afternoons at Gringott's handling his father's estate, which he had never expected to inherit. Apparently his mother had worked a charm into the will such that Draco could not be disowned.

Ginny became reacquainted with her family and friends, and explained far more times than she wished to why exactly she had married Draco Malfoy. Seeing Harry again had been awkward, because of his continued affection at the time of her disappearance, but he seemed to have done well for himself and was dating a witch he met during his auror training.

Ginny and Draco eventually retreated back to their cozy little hideout and library in Rome, where they spent most of their time, and their daughter grew up charming most everyone who walked through the library door. Over time the little family grew and they made frequent trips back and forth to the Burrow through a long-distance floo system that they had installed. The children spent the day at the Burrow with their grandparents (for Mr. Weasley had healed over time) and cousins (for Ron and Hermione had quickly started in on a family, and had several frizzy-haired redheads).

Though Draco never really got over his prejudice, and never opened up emotionally to anyone but his family, he had still let Ginny break down his barriers and let some light into his dark world. Ginny never really got over her idealistic tendencies and naïve optimism, but her witty banter and often completely disorienting relationship with Draco kept her grounded. They lived not in slow idyllic detachment or fast-paced harried involvement, and not as dark Malfoys or light Weasleys, but somewhere in the grey.

* * *

AN: If that wasn't an epic epilogue, I don't know what is. I hope the pace didn't bother you too much. Fast-slow-fast-slow. I see their lives running at a much different pace than most. They go around in this slow-paced detached world until something happens to throw it into this rush of things, then it slows back down and they return to their lazy library where all they have to worry about it what exactly Giovanni doing that requires such knowledge of dragons. In that way they are really immature… and hopefully they grow out of it because they have kids now! You can't play escape with kids.

And after that stinking long chapter, and at the end of my story (with no sequel- sorry) I hope you will review. You were all wonderful readers.


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